


ep 601

by bjfic_archivist



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Abuse, Canon, Drama, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-11-28
Updated: 2008-12-02
Packaged: 2018-12-27 14:15:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12082740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bjfic_archivist/pseuds/bjfic_archivist
Summary: By the very first weekend, Justin gets nice job in NY and goes to Pittsburgh to meet Brian. Justin’s roommate gives emotional support to Justin to heal out of his parting with Brian. Brian goes to NY to meet Justin, using an excuse of a seminar, and they have extremely romantic night. Ben’s cells damage further, but no serious harm.





	1. EP 601 chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from IrishCaelan, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Brian_Justin_Fanfiction_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in September 2017. I posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/bjfic/profile).

Jennifer and Daphne kissed goodbye to Justin as he proceeded towards security check-in. 

"Take care, baby", said Jennifer. Daphne confirmed that he had the address and phone number handy, of her friend  in NY. "He'll be there, don't miss him", said Daph.

Justin sat in a window seat, next to an old lady in 80s. He closed his eyes which were suddenly starting to water. As the plane took off, he felt as if his guts transformed into some kind of rope which tied him to the Pittsburgh ground, and the plane was ripping it apart. A wave of fear ran through his body as he imagined that he's never going to return. After some time someone handed him some orange juice. He tried to lift the glass to drink it, but his hand shook so heavily that it almost spilled over. He took a sip and put the glass away. He could feel the coldness of the icy drink running from his lips to the stomach and he suddenly felt like vomiting. He closed his eyes and looked away at the window. In his mind the images of his memories of Pittsburgh ran like a million-time fast forwarded movie. His happy childhood, school and college days enjoyed with Daphne, encounter with Chris Hobbs, first time he went to Brian's loft, his new world containing Rage, Michael, Ted, Emmett, Lindsey, Malines, Gus, his days of work at the diner with Debbie, violin concerts he attended of Ethan, and the last day when he and Brian declare their marriage being called off. He was unable to find reason why he was not at all feeling happy that he's actually on a fabulous journey to become one of the country's most talented artists, and out of a city where Chris Hobbs lived.

After an hour he came to senses when Captain announced the landing within 10 minutes and he tried to look straight. He felt tremendous pressure in his neck looking due to its unchanged position for a long time. The old lady beside him told that she also had this kind of 'air-sickness' when she flew for the first time - thinking that it was definitely the first plane journey for a kid sitting next to her. They descended the plane last when all the passengers were gone, and Justin nervously walked away blindly following the "exit" signs. When he came at the last exit, he strongly felt to run away and go back to Pittsburg again. He even checked on the "Departure" screen - the next flight to Pittsburgh was immediately after 30 minutes. Somehow he gathered himself and exited out of the door and started walking to blindly follow the "Taxi" sign. His new room-mate was standing at the corridor holding handwritten piece of paper "Justin Taylor" which he never noticed. After walking a short distance he tapped Justin and asked "Justin Taylor?" 

"Yes?"

"Oh my God! I am standing there like a fool for 20 minutes finding you - and you're here. Your cell is still switched off!! " he cried.

"Oh...I'm sorry, I..forgot. You are..." he tried to remember words to complete his sentence and Daph's friend's name, and miserably failed to remember both.

"Peter. Welcome to NY", he said as he observed Justin's pale face and Justin’s hand felt cold like a hand of a corpse. 

It was good that Daph had given him an idea that Justin is coming just after a cancelled marriage, and he's gay. In fact, Daph had already called Brian and fixed the house for Justin with Peter. Brian had agreed that it would be a good idea to let Justin stay in a good company instead of leaving him all alone in some expensive flat by favors of Brian’s customers. Also, Peter was straight and caring. Justin had no idea about this pre-laid plan. 

Peter softly guided Justin to the line of Taxis. From a long shot, one could see two of them - two young men heading towards heart of NYC hoping to make their future, among millions of others that crowded the airport yard.


	2. EP 601 Chapter 2

Take #2 

Brian entered Kinnetik office door in his usual Armani wear. Everyone looked stunned. He quickly went to his cabin, overhearing remarks behind him - "Isn't boss supposed to be on marriage leave?"

Ted had already called Cynthia and updated, she quickly came into the cabin and greeted Brian. He looked at her worried face and a heat of anger ran through his body. "Would you like some coffee?" she asked, without mentioning a word about marriage or cancelled leave. "Yes, usual one," said Brian. He opened his email and saw "out of office" set and his calendar for entire week completely empty. He sighed and waited for coffee.

Ted came in with two coffees and sat blankly. Brian looked at him, then looked down. He could not hide the sadness. They silently drank the coffee, Ted's presence biting Brian like a needle. Hot coffee made him to breathe a bit. "I...I will look something for you,” said Ted, while going out of the cabin and shutting the door firmly behind him. Brian leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, Justin's face in Tuxedo flashed into his mind without gap of time. Suddenly he tears filled into his eyes and he felt absolutely hopeless. He held his head and let them roll down, trying to stop them helplessly. In a while he gathered himself, checked out in the mirror that he was looking ok, and not knowing what to do next, went out for a round in office. He observed his staff standing and gossiping in groups. Suddenly his temper shot and he cried for Cynthia. "Cynthia - go and arrange a all-hands staff meeting - right now. I have an announcement."

Within next 2 minutes an email from Cynthia was in everyone's inbox - Please gather in the auditorium immediately as Boss has an announcement to make. Brian addressed - "Hi everybody - I can see that you're wondering how come I am here while I am supposed to be on marriage leave. Well, here's a good news for you that my marriage is called off....yes, it's true. And you need not bother to find the reason. Now get back to your work, and I want to see no gossiping around. You have the official news now and that's enough information for you. Now I want each and every one of you at your places, and you know what to expect if I don't find it happening in next 2 minutes." He wound up. Everyone was stunned, but quickly returned to their places. 

 

Brian returned to his cabin and sat in the chair. He felt satisfied with his strength supporting him though any situation. He suddenly felt like he has some super power like Rage. However, when he looked at his monitor, he again saw Justin's face in it - this time he suddenly remembered very tearful Justin saying "I'm sorry. You know for what" after he came back after meeting Ethan. A wave of fear passed through his body as he imagined Justin forever gone - as if he would never see him again. Suddenly his hands felt uncontrollable urge to run through Justin's soft blonde hair, and Brian's fingers shivered as he held his mouse tightly, making abrupt cursor movement on his screen. 

 

"Where would he be? Has he reached safely? He didn't even call. How would be his new room-mate? What if something happens to the plane? What if his room-mate suddenly turns up like Chris Hobbs....Justin, Justin...my Sunshine...."

 

Then Brian sensed that there's no work requiring his presence in office - he had delegated almost everything before he went on marriage leave. Kinnetik was supposed to run smoothly without Brian for a week, and it was doing so. His phone was silent since morning and there were no documents piled up on his desk marked "for urgent review". He felt empty and sat there for a long time - then suddenly moved and summoned Ted.

"I want a list of bottom 10 worst performing accounts of Kinnetik and their entire file - now." "Sure," said Ted as he hurried away to get the report. He was surprised to see Brian's face which seemed like nothing had happened - and at the same time Ted felt tremendously angry at Brian to be practically emotionless - and at the same time felt sad that Ted could probably never have such quality(?) in him.

Brian ran through the files and scheduled one-on-one meetings for the entire week for the account sales teams. During lunch, Michael called in to check if he's coming to the diner, but Brian said he was busy. During one-on-ones, Brian grilled the executives with fire-filled questions, almost insulting them on their performance. He gave them action items to complete with impossible-seeming deadlines and targets. Teams cursed Brian as they left, at the same time admiring him tremendously and wondering how could he think of those action items which they couldn't have figured out during an entire year of their account management.

When Brian finished the last session of the day and came out of the cabin, he saw Michael sitting outside and waiting for him. "Michael! What are you doing here?" He asked sarcastically. 

"I’m taking you home," said Michael. 

"I'm not your fucking wife should you pick me up and take home after office," roared Brian. But there was no strength in his voice like usual. He held Michael's armed and walked out with him.

They reached Brian's loft. 

Michael asked,” So, how was the day?" 

"Busy-busy, as usual."

"Ok. Now change fast and be ready. We're going to the diner for dinner and then to Babylon." said Michael.

"I'm not coming. I am kind-of tired." Brian tried to avoid. Michael got up and took a black shirt for Brian to wear for Babylon.

"The club is not so fabulous without it's fabulous owner", smiled Michael.

After all, Brian had dropped the idea of selling the loft and the club when they decided to cancel the marriage. Ted assured that he could still  afford having Brighton, he need not sell it either.

"And what about the patient?" asked Brian, pointing out at Michael's stitches.

"Tomorrow afternoon you're coming with me to the hospital to remove them." Brian couldn't think of a counter-argument. If not Mikey, who else could take him granted?

Debbie greeted them and served usual order. As Brian tried to swallow his first spoon, he could feel tremendous pain again - choking his throat - "Where would be Justin - would he be hungry...he didn't call...or rather he must have expected me to call and ask...? He knew I wouldn't."

He tried to swallow the bite with a sip of coffee and looked away. He knew Michael was reading his thoughts as if his face was like an open book. He looked down. Michael showed as if he was busy eating. Brian buried his face in evening newspaper - trying to breathe. After a while he gathered himself and finished his food in quick large bites - Michael still trying to catch up. After finishing, he looked sarcastically at Michael's face - there was a little cruel smile of victory in Brian's face - that he did not seem like a helpless man completely knocked down by love.

They entered Babylon. Brian sat at the bar and ordered usual drinks. He consciously ordered 2 instead of usual 3. Ted and Emmett already waiting for them joined instantaneously - as if it was a planned conspiracy against Brian. He hated when his own friends tried to overprotect him. The music seemed louder than usual, and lights seemed hurting his eyes. The drinks came. As he lifted the glass, it was Justin's face in it again - this time leaned on a pole outside Babylon - when Brian first saw Justin - innocent, confused, and yes - beautiful. Brian kind of raced the swallowing of drink against thoughts entering in his mind - "where would he be? How would he be?" Suddenly he heard Emmett giggling on a joke which he failed to catch up.

"Want to dance?" This time it was Emmett.

"Take the professor's wife. He would love to get his stitches tore again - he kind of liked the doctor's dick," said Brian.

"Brian..." Michael tried to stop him.

"You guys enjoy.. I’ve some better thing to do..." said Brian as the bartender handed him a small white packet.

"Want to get your stitches out, Mikey?" He offered.

"No way, asshole!"

Brian escaped into the backroom. It was impossible to breathe there, and the lights and music seemed like some monster in a comic  book chocking him off.

He locked himself in a toilet and relaxed. He put the packet in his black jeans pocket and sighed. Justin's face was projected clear now - on all the  visible surfaces of the toilet. Justin as he saw the last night they spent together. He took out his cell and checked - just in case he missed his call - but there was no missed call. He scrolled to Justin's number and put his finger on "Dial" button for a while - then closed the flap and put the cell back in the pocket. Tears ran down his cheeks as he closed his eyes. "Justin" the image of his most beloved name appeared before him in the font of his phone book. He tried to take out the powder but suddenly felt no strength in his hands - even to reach the pockets of his jeans. He sat standstill with his eyes closed - tears falling which he did not try to wipe off. Minutes passed by. Meanwhile someone banged the door to check if it's open - the sound registered in Brian's mind long after they actually banged. He rested his head against the door - and it came - the first sob with uncontrollable pain - as if someone is piercing a poisonous sword in his stomach. He pressed one hand on his stomach and other firmly on the door as if the entire Babylon was shaking horribly under influence of a huge earthquake - and released himself completely to the sobs - his entire body shaking helplessly, his mind crying horrified in silence - 

"Justin, Justin, Justin...Please come back...I love you, I need you...I need you."

He opened packet and took a shot of E.

 

After a while he felt drained out - and lay there still - eyes wide open - he heard strange voices surrounding him

Debbie saying - "That little kid somehow got in under the wire, huh? Admit it. You love him, don't you?"

Jennifer saying - "I'm sorry that I can't be you mother-in-law." 

And finally his Mom "Bible has made it clear. You're going to hell."

And Michael  - "We were friends that doesn't mean we should always be friends." 

And suddenly he felt horribly lonely. He saw himself stabbed deeply in his stomach - stumbling on a dark, long, deserted highway, heavily bleeding. "Stop! Help! Help!" he tried to cry but words could not come out  of his mouth. He saw all of them - Ted, Emmet, Michael, Debbie, his mom, Jennifer, Daphne....Linds and Mel, holding Gus and JR, even Cynthia - all were laughing at him loudly and walked away - they entered a large white glittering vehicle and drove off, leaving behind Brian. Justin wasn't visible anywhere, and they didn't seem to care. 

 

Drenched in sweat, he came to senses by loud bangs on door - "Brian! Brian! Come out!" It was Michael. 

"Jesus! What the hell..." he came out.

"Asshole! what were you doing inside all the time?"

He showed the empty packet. But instead of looking at it, Michael checked in quickly inside - relieved not finding any signs of an attempted suicide or a material required of that kind.

Michael gave him a hand as Brian stumbled at a step. "Let's go home," said Michael.

  


	3. EP 601 Chapter 3

Take #3 

It was next day. Justin nervously got up, pushing aside the pillow which was still wet. Somehow he gathered himself and got ready for the interview. Heavy folder of his drawing portfolio hung over his shoulder. Peter took him to the Simon who wrote an article on Justin - and who had invited him to NY offering him a position.

"Hi, I'm Justin Taylor."

"oh... I see...you are a great artist, Mr. Taylor." Simon said, "but if I am not mistaken, aren’t' you supposed to be here a month back?"

"well,” Justin stumbled"..actually, there was a personal problem.."

"oh yes, you told me. Never mind." He searched for some references in his computer and fired a print.

"Here.. these are the contacts of some of the finest galleries in NY. And here's my recommendation letter. All the best, Justin, do let me know if you need anything. Welcome to the Mecca of art."

Throughout the week, Justin called them up, set up interview appointments, and came back hopelessly with comments like - 

"Well, you're a genius - Mr. Taylor. Your work is amazing - especially for your age. However, as you see - there're many others waiting for months, you know - but we'll definitely get back as soon as we have a suitable opening…."

 

 

It was Friday afternoon and he sat at Central Park on freezing cold steps of a famous gigantic gallery - he tried to eat but food could not make its way inside. He felt hopeless and alone - left out in a large city. He thought if he dies on these steps now, no one would notice - and his corpse would be thrown in a garbage pit, next day's newspaper showing a small line in some bottom corner – 

_"Unidentified frozen body of young man in early 20s found at the corner of an art museum. Police suspect him to be some illegal immigrant came to NY in search of work."_

Tears started gathering in his eyes as he tried the last number for the 50th time now. It always went on voicemail. Surprisingly, this time the other person picked up.

"Yes?" an irrigated voice of a very old man answered.

"Sir, This is Justin Taylor. I was referred to you by...."

"What do you want?"

"I am an artist looking for work. I came to know that you were looking for..."

"Do you paint?"

"Yes sir, I have graduated from..."

"Come down to the 47th street, 412...I will see you at two." He hanged up.

When Justin reached there, he saw a shabby office in a huge gallery - the place smelled of antique masterpieces and chemicals used by excavators.

5-6 people piled up on a lonely bench - all looking poor and needy - and a bit eccentric.

"There's no use of waiting for the useless old man. He isn't any good. Let's go." A man whispered to another youngster and they both walked off. It seemed they waited there for many hours.

Two others checked necklace popping out of Justin's jacket which endorsed him as gay, and gave each other a sarcastic smile. He looked away and sat as far from them as he could.

Hours passed. The bench was cold and Justin was almost frozen as the snowing outside increased its intensity. 

Now it was almost 500th time he was rewinding and watching a movie in his mind - contain all events occurred to him in Pittsburgh - from his childhood to the countless memories of moments spent with Brian – and bitter memories of his father accusing him of ‘not being a man’. His head started spinning and he started sensing sharp headache. The bench headcount had reduced.

 

Around 4:30, and old shabby African lady came out and called "Justin Taylor?"

Justin could not hear it.

"Anyone called Justin Taylor still here?" she repeated loudly. Justin woke up and mumbled .."Yes, Ma'm."

She looked angrily because of his slow response and pointed him to go inside.

The interior was a vast empty room with unfinished canvases mounted on large drawing boards, and many paintings covered carefully with some shabby colored wrappings. Strong smell of chemicals used to maintain historic paintings filled in the air.

 

He sat their - an old man, in almost is 70s, with white beard and shabby clothes. From the looks, he certainly could be classified as one of those eccentric artists who didn't give a shit to anything else than the art.

 

"Sit down boy." he said as he studied Justin's face. Justin did not like the way he stared at him. He started taking out his portfolio to show the drawings. 

"Trash the garbage" the old man said. Justin almost felt insulting to refer to his work as "garbage” and about to stand up prepared to leave.

"Here..." the man gave him an empty canvas and a worn-out pencil.

Justin looked puzzled.

"Draw your shit."

"What?"

"I want you to draw whatever you want. If I feel you're good, you can start from today at the gallery. Else, fuck off. There are many morons like you who think that they can draw - they come here every time I place an ad and I have to kick them out. You have half an hour."

"But..what do you want me to draw?"

"Get out if you can't think. A painting is in an artist's mind all the time. You just need a canvas to put it down.

Next, please" he almost called the old lady taking back the canvas.

Justin pulled the canvas and said, "Wait. I have the drawing."

All he could think of was Brian. Suddenly an image of Brian flashed in his mind - Brian pouring water on his body after taking Justin in his loft for the first time. 

He began to form the drawing. The old man observed as Justin went into it with full concentration. A torso of an incredibly beautiful man was getting formed on the canvas. Standing erect and both hands spread, inviting. Minutes passed and Justin reached till the face. He remembered an incredibly seductive face of Brian that pulled him like a magnet. His eyes locking themselves into Brian's eyes. "I saw the face of God.." he remembered his comment to Daph. But suddenly his hand slowed as he sketched the face. Brian's hair automatically got elongated - like Justin last saw it leaning over him on their last night in the loft. Finally he came to the eyes... and suddenly he came to consciousness – it wasn’t loft and there was no Brian standing opposite to him - Justin had left Pittsburgh - he had left Brian – he’s in NY now. Where would _he_ be? What he must be doing? Stroke of his pencil slowed as image on the canvas blurred.

The old man observed. The room was silent.

Suddenly he heard the voice of Brian.

"Justin, Justin...I love you. I need you. Please, come back...come back!"

Then as if someone else had taken control over Justin's hands, he drew the eyes of Brian. Filled with water, tears dripping. Face filled with fear, pain and intense longing. Justin felt like he was being pulled into the drawing.

He chocked and the canvas completely blurred. He couldn't draw anymore, he couldn't see anymore. He sensed shots of heat waves through is head and ears and tears filled in his eyes. He dropped the pencil and looked up at the old man. 

"I'm sorry," he said in a chocked voice, "I can't...do you have a restroom?" 

The old man pointed towards a path inside. Justin ran towards a sink and broke down.

After a few minutes he came out, silently started packing his portfolio and moving towards the exit. It was obvious that he had fucked up the interview. He couldn't even complete the drawing and on the top of it he started crying like a child.

But to his surprise , he heard a voice of old man.

"Amazing...." He could not believe.

The old man approached nearer and studied Justin's face through his thick glasses.

"I haven't seen a boy like you in years...." he said.

Justin was stunned, cold as ice.

"I will give you 10 thousand. No leaves, no falling sick. You have to start at 8, no limit in the evening. We need to revive almost 500 in this month those came from a lot from Greece last week," he pointed at a covered heap of paintings.

Justin could not believe his ears.

"So, you selected me?"

"Yes. young man."

"So when do I start?"

"Now. Start unpacking the small ones from that heap...and remember that some real men created them...if something happens to them I will cut your hands. Call the next kid...."

Justin felt as if he was in heaven. He had got the job in the country's one of the most prestigious gallery. But there was something missing – something so incomplete.

 


	4. EP 601 Chapter 4

Take #4 

Brian looked at the watch. It was 5. He remembered that it was Friday evening, and the thought made him uncomfortable. Two more days to kill now - and to face unwanted attempts of Mikey and the gang to "take care of Brian in this situation". It felt him as if they were trying to console him after hearing the news that he was infected with HIV- or even worse than that.

Fortunately Ben was taking Michael today to the doctors, and he needn't be there.

He descended and got into the car. His hand shook as he touched the frozen steering. It was dark outside and heavy snow filled deadly chill into the surrounding. He tried to put the key but at the same time he remembered the last flash of memory - Mikey and gang leaving stabbed Brian on a deserted highway. He choked and felt like sitting there forever - in a cold car on a lonely, dark road. If he stays there, maybe God would feel mercy and death would come to him, solving all the problems at the same time.

He was surprised how he could think so negatively - and so much about God - two things never entered in his mind so strongly anytime before.

Trembling, he started the car and drove to the loft - he could not notice that he was driving with 20 on a speed limit of 45 till the person behind honked. He sped up and reached the loft. He hurried upstairs and locked the door firmly behind him. At last, he's in his own space where he can cry openly and nobody could see.

The loft stood cold and gloomy, usual stuff of Justin missing, exposing empty spaces hurting his eyes, which he wasn't used to see.

He increased the heater temperature and pulled a drink. A wave of warmth made him feel better. Suddenly he felt the lights were too bright, and he switched them off one by one. Darkness in the loft felt much better and had a strange secured sense.

The moment he was about to throw himself on bed, his cell rang. 

"Justin??..." Brian thought.

It was Michael. "Brian...I got rid of those fucking stitches. Now I am free. What are you doing?"

"Great".

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing, just came home."

"Let's go to Babylon. Ben's coming too. Let's see who wins the lucky draw tonight."

"Mikey..."

"You're coming to the diner in half an hour, and we're heading Babylon at 9."

"Mikey! I am not coming today, I am tired. I had a bad day in office today..." and then Brian said something which he had never said to Michael before,” Please."

Michael sensed the pain in his voice instantaneously. He knew he needed to be left alone for some time to get back to life. But he feared Brian would do some nasty things like scarfing.

"Ok.. but promise me that you won't do those crazy things like you..."

"It was fucking 5 years back Mikey...for heaven's sake...and Justin is not…" Brian’s voice softened so much that Michael couldn’t here his last words.

"Ok, I am sparing you, but you're going to call me tonight before you go to sleep. I need to discuss the doctor's reports for both me and Ben with you."

“Ok.”

 

Brian cut abruptly. He promised something to Michael, but he wasn't sure. Somehow he thought he was already dead. But maybe not.

He remembered conversation with Mel - "How do I know I am alive, Mel?"

This time it was Mikey, expecting Brian to call to discuss the doctor's reports tonight. But somehow Brian felt it was fake. Mikey didn't call. He escaped in the van with everyone. Brian’s head started feeling heavy.

 

He sat on the corner of his bed for a long time and felt empty. As if world was running perfect without Brian Kinney, only the time inside the loft had stopped. As if he was no longer needed. Kinnetik was doing fine without him, Babylon's crowd was overwhelmed without him, Mikey could complete doctor's appointment without him, even Justin was doing just fine without him.... _”he didn't call”_. He gazed nowhere in the dark loft.

After a while he felt his breath, then he got up, undressed and went to bed. He switched off even the tiny lights which lit the bed beautifully. He forgot completely about dinner. As he lay in the bed, he slowly turned towards the other side, feeling emptiness. He moved his hand on the side where Justin used to be, finding nothing but cold touch of pillow and sheet. It seemed unreal. Maybe this is a dream...he's just at the shower and would jump in within seconds....Brian looked at the shower - there was no light, no sound of water. But he could smell Justin coming out of shower - all wet and fresh like a newly grown rose bud drenched in dew. Brian shivered and held the sheet as tight as possible.

 

Slowly his eyes closed, and the memories crowded his mind again - Justin as he first saw outside Babylon, Justin lying unconscious in the parking lot with blood all over, Justin leaving with Ethan, Justin asking ‘then why are we doing this?’, Justin found after the blast with soot all over, Justin telling him "the answer is no."

By midnight the atmosphere in the loft felt unbearable to Brian. He was unable to breathe, choked heavily, his head spinning, eyes soared and swollen, wet pillow and cold bed , in spite the heater was on highest temperature and room stuffed like a hotel kitchen, he shivered with cold. He tried to get up to find a headache pill. But he could not move, only fingers of his hand shivered. It was as if he was tied to the bed and he was being pulled by loads and loads of heavy weights suspended from all over his body.

After some time, he heard the sound of elevator. Mikey...oh no..he was the last thing he wanted to see. He thought of some task he needed to do for Mikey tonight, but he could not remember what. He decided not to open the door, but later remembered that Mikey had a key. Or by mistake he called some hustler and forgot. He tried to wipe tears out of his face but it was dry.

 

The door opened and someone came in. Brian was too tired to get up and see. How can a hustler have a key? Or he left the door open…but he had closed it as far as he remembered. He tried to open his eyes and see. But the image of the loft blurred. He stretched is eyes he saw a thin figure.

 

"Brian!!" he immediately recognized Justin's voice. Was it a dream or reality?

"Justin!" he wanted to exclaim but words didn't come out, his voice was chocked.

"What are you doing in the dark?" Justin switched on the lights. He was relieved to find Brian in bed alone.

By this, Brian came to senses and got up. He looked at Justin stunned.

"Brain..." Justin came straight and took him in his arms. He was smiling and crying at the same time. _Yes. It’s him_.

"I got Job. In a fabulous gallery….

"I fucking came to know about it at 6 and it took me 7 hours to drive in that fucking snow. I have to start back on Sunday afternoon."

First time Brian sensed the time. It was 2 AM. Michael had told him something to do but he couldn't still remember what was it.

"You drove in this snowstorm...all the way from..." Brian’s eyes asked.

"Yes. I wanted to see you."

Tears flowed shamelessly now as they hugged each other tight and kissed passionately. 

 

"Congratulations!" Brian said in chocked voice after a long time. Justin was dumbstruck to see the beauty of Brian's face - smile of pride on it for his little Sunshine - and face all wet with tears.

 

"Well, have you eaten?" Brian asked. Justin remembered that there's something called dinner one's supposed to have. He nodded.

"I haven't too. Go get fresh, I will take out something." Justin thought Brian had incredibly changed. 

They sat on the platform with hot sizzling noodle bowls. Brian stared at Justin's face as if he was still doubting if it was real. Justin hurriedly took the first bite, but before swallowing, he felt a sharp pain in the gut. It was so fast that he could not control. He collapsed in Brian's arms and sobbed loudly. "Brian..Brian". Brian tried to calm him initially, later gave up and burst into tears. One week seemed like one lifetime. After a while they gained back senses, and Justin started  to laugh, cry and eat cold noodles - all simultaneously. It looked funny.

During dinner Justin updated him about the life in New York, and the strange interview by the old man.

After they finished Brian felt a wave of soothing and calming sensation passing through his body, his headache and heaviness calming down fast. 

Justin put the lights off, and slowly walked towards Brian standing at the window. Brian took his hand and sat in the bed. Brian leaned back and Justin rested his head on Brian's chest, both of them in arms of each other. As the night passed, they could feel milky moonlight coming into the loft, and tiny snowflakes floating outside like feathers. Time seemed to be halted, and they closed their eyes. They felt as if their heartbeats synchronized, and the world beyond them did not exist. Love had begun to start as the lust had begun to end.


	5. EP601 Chapter 5

Take #5

Days passed. It was spring. Justin kept busy and buried himself in more & more work. Peter was surprised to find that it was exactly same as the break-up of any straight couple, and tried to adjust with Justin. Soon they became good friends. Peter used to wonder how hardworking Justin was, and was extremely curious to know who was Brian. When Justin was away, he once entered and looked through his drawing book, and came across many drawings of an extraordinarily attractive man in 30s. He thought it must be Brian. Later, he came across an old photo album that Daphne shared on web, of some party at Justin’s. He could see Brian’s photo holding Justin, in the album. He smiled to find that his guess was right, and wondered at Brian’s beauty. He wished he had figure like Brian. He felt sad. He also knew that the people who called Justin never talked about Brian, but he felt it was kind of absurd that Justin’s mom Jennifer and another man called Michael who seemed like Justin’s friend used to call almost daily and talked for a long time, taking name of Brian several times.

 

He felt sad when Justin used to skip dinners, and had already lost more than 15 pounds in just a few weeks. Justin’s face looked pale. Peter observed Justin working day and night in the gallery, and putting weekends on his own creations. He also found that Justin regularly drew some comic drawings which he used to post to Michael in Pittsburgh.

Sometimes Justin used to behave very irritating – locking himself all day, sometimes unable to get up and running to the gallery half asleep, sometimes he forgot to important messages from the landlady, sometimes Peter had to go and pick very drunk Justin collapsed in the gallery corridor. Peter tried to help as much as he could. Justin was good as a roommate, he cooked great food and kept the house crystal clean, even though his back used to get stiff and fingers ached because of continuous drawing. And though Justin never showed, Peter sometimes managed to steal view of Justin wiping tears, while cooking or cleaning. The break-up must have ended very badly , he thought. He used to thank God that it never happened to him.

 

Whenever Peter’s girlfriend was not around, Peter used to take Justin to places in NY, and spend time with him on weekends, shopping, dining, taking him to Broadway, trying to fill his time with some lighter moments.

He never observed Justin going to nightclubs in the evenings, nor brought any dates home, unlike Peter’s other gay friends used to do.

Daphne came to NY twice during those days, and the three enjoyed a lot.


	6. EP601 Chapter 6-14

Take #6

It was summer. 6 months had passed by after Justin came to NY. His work had doubled, and he had lost considerable weight.

Brian continued to work in Kinnetik – it’s numbers going up day by day. Brian was more than involved in everything that happened at Kinnetik. He used to spend long hours in office, and then used to end up at Babylon. However, now a days he was not much seen on the dance floor or the backroom, instead, he used to take tricks to the loft and kicked them out by midnight.

 

Take #7

On a busy evening near the end of June, Brian sat tensed at his desk, trying to figure out problem in a fucked-up account. Suddenly an interesting email caught his eye – an invitation to some seminar in NY arranged by some fabric manufacturer’s association on some vague topic like “new trends in fashion and its global impact.”

It would be a good excuse to see Justin, he thought, and the seminar too did not demand anything else than a dumb presence of Brian. Usually, Brian would have sent his worst performing market research agent into such a seminar. This time he decided to go. He told Cynthia to book his one way ticket to NY. She looked surprised. Brian gave his standard look of “Don’t interfere”.

 

Take #8

He could not wait till the date of seminar. Also, he surprisingly spent almost a week on choosing clothes to wear for the fucked-up seminar. He also had a haircut and spent a evenings in the most expensive spa in Pittsburgh to get his look “up to a satisfactory level”. 

 

Take #9

He flew to NY alone. The seminar was extremely boring and he ended up feeling sleepy and checking out on other guys by lunch. After an hour into the second half, he escaped the seminar hall and headed straight towards Justin’s gallery. However, he stopped the cab one block before, and entered into another gallery, decided to kill some more time. His heart pounded by thoughts of Justin, and for a moment he reconsidered going to his gallery. Justin would be at work, and Brian’s visit is only going to greatly distract him – not today, but for many days ahead. But he did not have heart to go back without seeing Justin. 

 

Take #10

“This would be very good for you, Sir. Your wife will appreciate it.” The sales girl at the galley said to Brian, breaking his chain of thoughts. It was a  rose bouquet, made of expensive crystal, studded with jades. He suddenly remembered that he didn’t buy any gift for Justin. He remembered Mel telling him to carry a bouquet on Justin’s birthday, and Brian telling “No Thanks” to the old florist in a dry voice. He thought of buying the crystal bouquet and checked the price tag – it was for $2000. Certainly the salesgirl would have asked Brian to buy it looking at Brian’s expensive executive outfit. But he somehow thought that Justin would not like it. Justin hated people buying him expensive gifts, but did the opposite when he bought for others. Apart from that, he sensed something very artificially dry and fragile about the crystal art piece. 

“No, Thanks,” he said the salesgirl and moved ahead. But a thought of a good gift to Justin started mingling in his mind.

 

Take #11

He came out of the gallery and found it was still 3:30 PM. Luckily, he observed a couple coming up with a fresh bouquet. As they approached, he put his usual spell of charm and asked – “Hi there, royal beauties, can I know where did you get that?” pointing at the bouquet. “This? Oh.. just the next corner…” the young man replied. The girl in his arms looked at Brian and blushed.

Brian walked down to the florist and picked a small, fresh, inexpensive but incredibly beautiful bunch of roses. 

 

Take #12

He walked down to Justin’s gallery. The receptionist was impressed with Brian and immediately tried to call some housekeeping to summon Justin. Brian stopped her and just asked her to guide him to where Justin worked. She happily gave him the visitor’s pass and allowed him in. As Brian passed through the rooms, he marveled at the masterpieces hanging on the wall. He wondered what it must have taken for them to reach to that level.

 

Take #13

And then he saw Justin. Working on a historic painting, trying to carefully conserve it, remove the dirt carefully and giving it a new life. He stood at the door and observed. Luckily, there were many visitors that day, and many housekeeping staff members moving heavy cartons of paintings here and there. He was relieved that Justin was unable to sense Brian’s presence in that chaos. He was working at the painting with full concentration. He looked a bit thin from behind, his hair seemed long, and sometimes he had to move it to stop getting it into his eyes. He wore some worn-out clothes as usual, but he looked incredibly beautiful. 

 

By now Brian was standing at the door long enough to catch attention of an old man standing there, he must be in 80s and looked completely eccentric in his white beard and thick glasses. He walked to the door and observed Brian’s face closely. Brian felt uncomfortable. But it seemed he recognized Brian, and came out of the door. “Brian Kinney,” he said in a very low voice ,”I’ve come to see him,” pointing at Justin.

The old man walked a few steps away and again looked at Brian strangely, making Brian move away from the door and out of Justin’s possible viewpoint.

The old man did not seem to hear. He walked around Brian and stood observing. Brian became more uncomfortable by knowing that the old man was looking at him as if he was a non-living object – maybe good enough for his next doodling.

“I usually don’t allow relatives or friends disturbing my lads during work hours. Come back at 5.” He said in a complaining and authority voice. Brian figured out he could be Justin’s boss or the owner of the gallery. 

“However, you can visit my gallery and those ‘restricted entry’ rooms till that time,” he told Brian as if he was doing a great favor, “I don’t usually allow morons entering them. But you can see them. And I hope you are wise enough not to touch anything.”

“Yes Sir”. Brian reluctantly moved ahead. It was so painful to wait. Every second seemed like a year. Disappointed, he wandered at the other sections of the gallery. After a while he found stairs to the next floor, and he went up.

To his surprise, he ended up in a room which straightaway showed image of Justin working at the drawing, from a large Victorian window, diagonally down. Now he could see Justin from front. He was relieved and stood still at the window. If he moved too much, he would have caught Justin’s attention. He observed silently Justin at work, and felt a strong feeling of assurance that he was the most beautiful thing ever happened to Brian. He cursed himself – what an idiot he was that he tried to drive Justin off so many times. Within seconds he felt himself so hard that he feared he would run down straight into Justin and fuck him right there. But as he began to smell the mild fragrance of the bouquet he held he slowly slipped in something like an influence of half-asleep trans state ,or as if he had taken an insufficient dose of some crappy drug - or someone had put him under a spell. He wished if he would just fly down like a feather through the window towards Justin - and take him in his arms – and the time would freeze.

 

Take #14

It was getting dark and he saw in the watch – it was almost 7. The old man had already gone, and the noises of movers had stopped. It was way after the closing time for the gallery. Housekeeping staff and security guys started shutting the doors after the cleaning cycle. An incredibly handsome young girl came and told Brian that they’re closing, requesting him to move out.

He descended and stood at the door of Justin’s room. Justin was still at work. In about 5 minutes, he finished and carefully placed the painting at a corner and covered it with a white cloth. He stretched his back and pressed is neck as if there was a lot of pain. Finally he turned to gather his things and he saw Brian.

Justin could not believe his eyes. “Brian!” he choked.


	7. EP 602 chapter 1-14

  
Author's notes:

_Brian visits Justin in NY and they spend a romantic night._

* * *

Take #1

“Sunshine!”

“Jesus! When did you come here.. how…?”

“Come on, I will explain. Are you done?” Justin gathered his bag and came out of the door. He hugged Brian tightly. 

“Come on,” said Brian, hurrying him out of the gallery.

When they came out of the main entrance, Brian pulled Justin in a private corner, pushed him against a wall and kissed him hard. Justin’s eyes watered. Brian felt Justin’s bones. Brian pulled him out and stopped a cab. 

“What’s your address?”

“Umm?”

“What’s your address?”

“17th street, East Village” Justin whispered.

As he sat beside Brian in the cab, Brian took out the bouquet and handed over to him.

“I came here for a seminar. Thought I should pay you a little visit before heading back.”

Justin took the flowers and rested his head on Brian’s arm. He took a deep smell and closed his eyes. He held the flowers pressed against his chest, as if he was holding a billion-dollar precious piece of art. Tears rolled down his cheek as he tightened his grip at Brian’s arm. Brian pulled him closer.

After the cab stopped, Justin hurriedly paid the amount.

“When we are in NY, I am paying.” He told Brian in a firm voice.

“Ok!” Brian smiled proudly.

 

Take #2

Peter had already gone out when they entered the apartment. Brian had a look at the house and exclaimed ,”It’s not bad!” He liked the clean and neat look of the house. But Justin pulled him hurriedly in his room and closed the door firmly behind him.  As Brian was trying to look the structure of the room, he pushed Brian in the bed and dived into him. “ I missed you…” he said in a chocking voice. “I missed you too…” Brian said softly, running his fingers through Justin’s hair. He could feel his shirt wet near the chest by Justin’s tears. He pulled him closer and tighter. Both of them could not breathe.

They lay there still for a long time. After some time, the door banged. It was Peter.

“Justin! Justin!”

“What?” Justin got up and answered.  Peter was stunned to find Brian inside, that too lying on Justin’s bed.

“I..I wanted to ask if you want to order some dinner… I am too tired to cook today, so I am calling the diner folks to deliver.” He told Justin while looking astonished as Brian got up and stood behind Justin.

“Brian, this is my room-mate Peter. Peter, this is my…”

“Brian Kinney,” he shook hands with Peter.

Justin suddenly got nervous not knowing how he should introduce Brian now…could he still say boyfriend…or ex-boyfriend…or husband…or just friend?

Peter was about to say that “You’re so beautiful indeed!” but he was never used to say such things to men.

“Well, what do you want to order, honey?” Brian asked Justin.

Peter was shocked for the second time. He thought they had broken up.

Justin ordered some usual Chinese stuff for him and Brian.

 

Take #3

After Peter was gone , Justin turned back to Brian. He remembered that they hadn’t even removed shoes after coming home.

“Come on, get fresh. I want to show you something after dinner.”

“I was thinking of some hot shower…” Brian said, pulling Justin in his arms.

“The bathroom here can take only one person at a time..” he smiled and pushed Brian away towards it. 

While Brian was taking shower, Justin hurriedly checked if the room was tidy. He took a glass of water and put the flowers in it, deeply inhaling their fragrance again. He stacked his canvases lying around in a neat fashion, and put the drawing pencils and brushes lying around in the drawer. He changed the sheets to a newer and a bit expensive set he had bought during last weekend – he intended to gift it to Mel & Lindz since he could never gift them anything better than a drawing. He also searched the bottle of lube he had bought in sheer excitement looking at the NY shops. But he had never opened it though since then. Now he opened and hid at the side of the bed. Then he searched and decided which clothes to wear for the club.

Brian came out of the bathroom. As usual, he was looking irresistibly hot, but Justin observed that his eyes were red and he looked tired.

He hurriedly took shower and when he came out the dinner had already arrived, and Brian was chatting with Peter in the kitchen.

He could not hear what they were talking, but it seemed someone whispered Daphne’s name. After that there was a long silence, and he heard Brian whispering something like “Thanks.” He thought it was for the dinner.

The food was delicious and during the dinner Brian updated them in general about Pittsburgh and Kinnetik.

“So, where are you taking me, Sunshine?” asked Brian. He looked pale and tired, as if he wanted to stay home, ”rather, can’t we just stay…”

_“Brian has definitely changed,” thought Justin… ”How did that happen?”_

“There’s a new club which has come up in Madison. It’s great and I am not letting you out of NY without seeing it. First you are checking out, and then we’re going to the club.”

 

Take #4

They came back home with Brian’s stuff he had left at the hotel. Brian had luckily brought some club wear with him, in case he doesn’t find Justin – or he needs to search Justin in the clubs – or in the worst case, to kill the night if he finds Justin with someone else.

 

Take #5

They headed into the club. In the cab Justin faked Brian about the fabulous interiors of the club, and the great Ambience he had enjoyed when he went there recently. In reality, Justin had never gone there, in any club in NY for that matter, he just repeated what he had heard from a cab driver.

They reached and Justin embarrassingly found that the things he told were grossly tangential. He blushed. Brian knew. But the ambience was great, way overwhelming and seductive than Babylon, and Brian soon got merged in the crowed like a needle getting attracted to a magnet. “Maybe I should expand Babylon like this,” he thought.

For a long long time he was dancing with Justin in his arms, and Brian danced as if under some spell, holding Justin tight in his arms. The songs went on with increasing speed of rhythm, and Justin’s heart pounded at the beats.

Exhausted, they left the platform and sat at the bar, Brian bearing near-heavenly expression on his face. For a second Justin thought it too artificial, too far different than his usual world of art.

As the drinks flowed, the beats further accelerated, and suddenly Brian got up and pulled Justin in the backroom. Justin’s heart pounded. He had waited for it since almost last 6 months.

 

Take #6

Brian ripped off Justin’s clothes impatiently, pressed him tight against the wall and fucked him. It was quick, extremely rough and hurting. Justin moaned in pain but felt the exhaustion extremely soothing. He collapsed on floor in Brian’s arms. Brian’s eyes were closed, and an eternal joy filled on his face. After a while, they gathered themselves and came out of the club. 

 

 

Take #7

It was dark and hot, but cold breezes flew through the street as traffic passed. They decided to sit on one of the benches. Justin quickly checked that there were no gangs passing by, and a police car was standing just on the next street. He was relieved. He leaned over Brian, who seemed still under the spell. They sat silently, holding hands, eyes closed, and wished that the night would continue and the day never breaks.

 

Take #8

After almost an hour, traffic diluted and Justin thought they should move. He suddenly remembered that he saw an ad of a newly constructed quiet bar at the top floor. They decided to try and went inside the building again. The bar was quiet, dim light dispersed through soft music. The bar had an open terrace and umbrellas stalled there for summer. They went out and sat at a table. Brian drank hard and now it seems he was getting a hang over. Justin wanted to stop him but he couldn’t.

After a long time, he pulled Justin and they sat on the railings on the edge of the terrace. Justin laid back on a pillar, Brian sat beside him first, but slowly leaned over Justin and then laid his head in Justin’s lap.

He looked up and ran his fingers through Justin’s hair. Knowing Brian, Justin knew that Brian desperately wanted to tell him something, but did not want to say it. Justin ran his hands over Brian’s body as if he was touching a baby. A single tear ran down Brian’s cheek. Justin knew what he wanted to say. 

_“I miss you, Sunshine. And the separation is so fucking horrible to bear. I don’t want to be alone. I want you around me all the time. I need you so much, Sunshine. Justin…for heaven’s sake…come back!!”_

Justin chocked.

Unable to sustain, he got up, helped Brian sit and ordered him a hot black coffee. Brian drank and they descended, caught a cab and went home.

 

Take #9

Justin put Brian into the bed, undressed him and softly pulled the blanket on him. Then he slipped inside the blanket, beside Brian, looking at his face. Brian looked tired, content and painful at the same time. As he moved his hand on the blanket which covered Brian, he felt an intolerable urge for sex. He had overwhelmingly joined Brian in that short and painful fuck in the club, but it was not sufficient. Besides, he had got Brian after a long wait for many months. Unknowingly, his hand turned downwards. Brian sensed, but did not respond. Justin sighed and pulled his hand back, and turned away to sleep. Suddenly, Brian pulled him closer. Justin was surprised to find him awake. Brian leaned over him and reached his pants lying beside the bed. He pulled a condom and handed it over to Justin, his eyes urging.

Justin looked startled.  Brian pulled Justin over him, and signaled Justin to wear it. Justin leaned over and kissed Brian softly. 

_“Brian has changed indeed.”_

He was almost losing his breath. Brian tried to roll over but he stopped him. He put it on, kissed him deep, and entered Brian. After a few minutes, he collapsed in Brian’s arms. They did it again and again till both of them went breathless-drenched in sweat. Finally, Justin slid himself to rest his head under Brian’s arm, and pulled the blanket up.

 

Take #10

Just as sleep started floating on their eyelashes, Justin woke up by loud sound of alarm. He could not believe that he was in Brian’s arms , in his house in NY, and it was true. Brian was still asleep, sense of deep satisfaction visible through is firmly closed eyes.  Justin leaned in arms for some more time and then got up and went into the shower. When he returned, Brian was still asleep. Justin fancied if he could stop the time for a couple of hours more.

Finally he softly woke up Brian. “Brian…Brian!! I need to go to the gallery. Need to reach there by 8.” He said. Brian woke up and sighed. He pulled Justin closer.

“Brian…” Justin whispered. ”Can you stay for one more day? Just one more.”

Brian looked away with his big eyes, and got up. Without answering Justin he went into the shower.

Justin knew that there’s no end to his desires. Brian would never be able to go back if he doesn’t go today. And he never got what he wanted without paying a heavy price. He started to become determined more –

_“I need to put some more efforts. If I get some basic recognition, I might get selected as an amateur artist by a gallery, or by a publisher. Once I spend some little time in it, maybe I can apply for a visiting positions in PIFA.”_ He thought as he got ready to leave.

Brian came out and silently packed his bag. As they were about to leave, Brian stopped and gave Justin a hug. Justin’s eyes watered.

_“ You don’t know that. Whether we see each other next weekend, next month, never again…doesn’t matter…it’s only time.”_ He remembered.

_“It does matter.”_ He thought. Memories of those horribly lonely nights he spent alone flashed in his mind. Nights over nights with wet pillow, sometimes nightmares like he was falling in a deep dark valley, sometimes vanishing in horrifying jungle yelling _“Brian! Brian!”…_

He gulped as Brian pushed him away, and they exited the house. 

“How’re you going back?” Justin asked as he searched for cab.

“I will drop you and catch next available plane.” Brian said coldly. As the gallery came, Brian briefly said,

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

Justin didn’t turn back till the time cab pulled over and merged in the traffic. Then he looked at the direction of the cab for a long time.

He was scared to death whether he will ever see Brian again. He found himself shaking by the sense of some baseless, haunting fear moving in his gut. 

 

Take #11

Brian felt strange as he sat in the plane. Fortunately he got next flight to Pittsburgh within 20 minutes, and the seat next to him was empty. Business class was usually this empty always, and he used to hate it otherwise, expecting some hot guy coming next to him. Now he felt relieved. As he sat back and relaxed, he thought affirmative about the change in him. He never felt like this before. So hopeless, so longing, so stereotypical – one day he found some kid on a street of Babylon and his life had become like a cheap soap opera TV series. He hated it. But he strongly felt that something within him has changed – and it’s still changing, going into some unknown direction as if he’s perusing a goal of becoming some unknown person – unknown but yet very much known. And he felt he could no more control that change happening to him.

In the mean time, some child cried loudly in the economy class, and he suddenly remembered Gus. He remembered that Lindz had told him to try out to come to Canada to see Gus in the summer vacation. He suddenly felt a deep urge to go. Maybe he should check with Michael, he was planning to go there with Ben to catch up with little Jenny. With Michael’s name, he missed a heartbeat.

_“We were friends that doesn’t mean we should stay friends.”_ He remembered his statement, then remembered Mikey soaked in blood after the blast…the dream when he found himself in the coffin after that, and then the nightmare he had at Babylon when Justin left… Mikey and gang fleeing in a van on a deserted highway leaving Brian alone – stabbed and bleeding. He tried to push those thoughts away.

Then he remembered Peter saying two people called Justin regularly – Jennifer and Michael. Why would Mikey call Justin so regularly? He know they kept on working on RAGE, but it must be something more. 

_“It must be me, what else?”_ he wondered how could he be so sure. Mikey must be telling each and everything about me to Justin, and if he doesn’t , Justin would ask and not leave him till he gives each and every detail.

He felt wave of anger flowing through is chest, why should Mikey give it a shit? Why he always has to interfere? But he knew Mikey. 

_“And if anything happens to Justin, who else would first tell me? In a way, he is taking care of Justin on behalf of me..telling Justin how badly I miss him.”_ Thought Brian, _”And I’m best friend Mikey.. he always did so much for me, and I couldn’t return a shit. Instead, I fucked up his knot with the doc, and I was about to fuck it up again win Ben…”_

He remembered Mikey asking _“What about the reality?” and suddenly he felt his mouth dry._ With this, the plane landed and the chain of his thoughts broke.

 

Take #12

When Brian entered office, he could see everyone’s face speculating what must have happened in NY. He blushed and went to his desk. He thought Ted would popped in as expected. But he didn’t. After a long time, he asked Cynthia where was Ted. She informed that he had to go to the hospital with Michael.

_“Hospital?”_ Brian missed a heartbeat.

“Ted? What’s going on?”

“Brian! You’re back!”

“Where are you?”

“Well..actually, Ben was admitted. A few more cells went off suddenly last night. But they fixed it. I have dropped Ben & Michael home and I will be there in 5 minutes.”

_“Fuck! Why didn’t they tell? Of course because I was with Justin…”_

Take #26 __

He packed up and headed to Michael’s house without waiting for Ted to return.

Ted saw Brian’s car speeding up as he pulled in. He nodded.

When he reached at Michael, Ben was lying in a sofa, reading, and Mikey was making soup, reading the recently received prescription simultaneously.

“What happened to you professor? Are you ok?”

“Oh yes, absolutely. It was just a minor thing. When did you come back? And how was your ‘adventure New York’?” Ben asked smilingly.

“Just fabulous.” Brian smiled.

“Why didn’t you call?” he turned at Mikey.

“Brian…Justin would have killed me if I did. Besides, it was just for an hour and Ted was there with me.”

Brian softly pressed Mikey’s hand. He knew Mikey was scared, and he actually wanted Brian by his side yesterday.

He felt guilty and looked down.

 

Take #13

He went back to the loft and threw himself on the bed. It was too tiring. When he closed his eyes, he saw Rage turned into Spiderman, and strangled in his own web to death. Each of the characters that fled from the van on that lonely highway was pulling corners and strings of the web in an extremely chaotic way, and Rage was choking at the center helplessly. Meanwhile, JT was being pulled far away due to the gravitation of an unknown evil planet. Blood was coming out of Rage’s stomach, as the knife which the evil planet’s defender stabbed, still stuck in Rage’s body


	8. EP 603 chapter1-5

  
Author's notes: _Three years pass. Justin engages in one night stand with his gallery colleague, but admits the mistake to Brian later. Justin wins project for Olympic 2010 Olympics and is sponsored by Nike._  


* * *

#ep 603 #

_ Episode Summary _

_Three years pass. Justin engages in one night stand with his gallery colleague, but admits the mistake to Brian later. Justin wins project for Olympic 2010 Olympics and is sponsored by Nike._

 

Take #1 

Time : 2009.

Three years had passed. Justin still was working in the same gallery, but he now had started anchoring exhibitions, keeping the budget of the gallery, arranging events for it, and also participated in numerous workshops, and won awards in various competitions and exhibitions. He no longer had the “young talent” certificates lying in his shelf, instead, now he had the momentos and empty decorated envelops of cheques piled up. He also was now used to face media better, and was also called for interviewing artists for different galleries and other government organizations, especially like archeological and history departments.

 

The old man use to call Justin to his house in irregular frequencies on weekends, and taught him advanced concepts in painting and drawing. Once, he took Justin to his house, and pulled a canvas. Then he drew continuously on piles of canvases, and showed Justin what’s meant by “abstract art” and how it can express human emotions which the words cannot describe.

 

By now Justin was known as the right hand of the old man of the gallery, and was admired by the management. Everyone knew him, and everyone was pleased when he used to greet them with his sunshine smile.

 

Justin went many times to Pittsburgh, many times to attend birthdays, anniversaries and such occasions. He carried gifts in ascending order of cost and beauty each time. At first the old man used to deny him any leaves, later he allowed Justin to stay off for a day or two.

Peter also got married with his girlfriend, and shifted to a new place. Now Justin was left alone in the apartment. He did not take another roommate.

Brian also bought a nice laptop for Justin, and he used it extensively to make and send new issues of Rage to Michael.

 

Justin also used to be approached by many big companies to design their logos, choosing their campaign themes and such tasks, and they used to pay him fairly.

After much pestering by Brian, Justin had joined a gym, and used to exercise regularly. It also helped him to reduce his back-pain and neck-pain, and build some muscles.

 

Justin was now 25, and got transformed into a handsome blonde, matured, confident, and influential young man.

 

Still, his name was unknown in the innermost circle of talent in Art, and he knew that he was nowhere close to his goal in bagging a visiting faculty’s position in PIFA. He was under constant pressure to move to Pittsburgh, and struggled to spend more and more time with Brian. He was physically not satisfied, but he never felt need to approach anyone else, and was far from the club life in NY.

 

 

Take #2

Justin sat in his office in the gallery, as usual finishing late. He was working on an exiting offer which he thought was the chance of his lifetime. The Olympic committee had invited Justin to participate in their official 2009 games visual portfolio – which included designing a theme, a logo, a set of advertisements and a whole lot of branding. Besides, when he was searching for sponsors, he ended up being interviewed by World’s number one sports company Nike. Co-incidentally, the interview panel contained the head of their marketing division, and he immediately recognized Justin as the creator of Rage. Without wasting time, they nominated Justin as their chief artist for the Olympics project, and immediately extended their help by giving him some advance amount for creating the blueprint, and also allowed them to form a team with two additional artists.

 

In a week, Justin completed his project blueprint, days spent in the galley and nights spent in old man’s house discussing the ideas.

The entire gallery was excited to know the result.

 

Take #3

Justin lay in his bed and thought about his life since he came to NY. He was worried whether Olympic Committee would choose him or not, because he knew that there was a lot of politics which happens at the global level, and since there was a lot of money involved, the result may not be fair always. But since it was Nike who supported him, he felt a little better.

 

He had made new friends in NY apart from Peter and the old man – 

·         Dan, a co-artists in the archeological division, 

·         Mark, the main security guard of the gallery, 

·         Chuck, the florist who sat at the corner of the gallery, 

·         Justin’s landlady Mrs. Smith who was a widow, and her 5-year old daughter Sherrie, who visited him regularly. She called Justin many times for dinner, and he used to entertain her daughter by drawing her favorite comic icons.

·         Melissa Lopez, a Mexican girl who used to clean everything from restrooms to the recently excavated paintings, 

 

 

He remembered an unpleasant incident with Dan. An year back, the gallery had received unusual load because of an international artists’ festival  being held in NY, and big artists had come to NY for the entire week. Justin was drowned in preparation since almost 3 months, and didn’t even have time for lunch. The old man had distributed the anchoring responsibility between Justin and Dan. Dan was as talented as Justin, and Justin kind of envied him because Dan was not only more experienced, but he had traveled world and could paint flawlessly. However, they were good friends and used to discuss art a lot. He was impressed by Dan and his remarkable genius. For the festival, the Old man had given Dan the responsibility to completely manage the exhibition content – the choice and arrangement of paintings, choosing assistants to explain them to the visitors, checking out on their prices, making sure that the security arrangement was adequate, and so on.

Whereas, he had given work to Justin to renovate the gallery, control the budget, manage the staying arrangements of the artists, managing the media and overall co-ordination.

The first day went smooth, and the response was enormous. On the second day, the crowd further increased, and the sales almost got doubled. At the end of second day, Justin and Dan were winding up things, extremely tired, and Dan spoke.

“Shit, I’m late.”

Justin looked at Dan. In the entire day he must have spoken to Dan a thousand times, but he never got chance to look at him so attentively. Dan’s eyes were swollen, and his faced looked extremely worried. He hadn’t even wore good clothes, and didn’t shave.

“Dan, is there any problem? And you’re late for what?” Justin asked.

Dan looked down. He looked as if he wanted to talk to someone.

“Come on, you can tell me, do you want me to drop you somewhere?” Justin asked, “Don’t worry about the visitor register, I’ll take care of it,” he said.

“Yes, that will be great. I really need to go.” Dan looked up. There were tears in his eyes. But he didn’t answer, just escaped out through the door.

Justin stood stunned. He remembered Dan looked exhausted lately, but so was Justin. 

Next day, Dan never showed up. The old man was worried, but still , it seemed like he knew something more about Dan which Justin didn’t.

Justin was cracked taking up both the responsibilities, and it looked as if he was dead when he threw himself on a sofa at the gallery, well past midnight. Throughout the festival, Dan didn’t show up.

Festival got over, and the media covered well. Both Justin and the old man didn’t forget to mention Dan’s credits in the press interviews.

 

After almost two months , Dan returned to the gallery. He was unrecognizably pale and weak. Refusing to talk, He silently resumed work and followed Justin’s orders without hesitation. After the day closed, Justin stopped him and took him for a coffee. 

Dan sat silently for a long time, sipping coffee.

“Justin…They could not save him,” suddenly he held Justin’s hand and broke out loud. 

“Dan..Dan..shit..what happened…hold yourself…” Justin took him out of the café. Everyone looked at them. They sat on the steps of the café and Dan told Justin what happened. Dan’s boyfriend had died due to HIV a month back. On the second day of the festival, he got admitted to the ICU for the last time. He had it for 2 years. Justin was stunned. He didn’t even know that Dan was gay for all that time, though he suspected it right from his first day at the gallery. They sat on the steps for a long time, Justin consoling Dan. Overnight, Justin’s viewpoint about Dan was completely changed. 

For next many days, Justin supported him in every task he did, and they became good friends. Sometimes they stayed at each others places, drinking, drawing, discussing art, many times even playing cards and watching TV. Dan slowly healed.

 

Once, the old man gave them a painting to revive, an extra-ordinary masterpiece by a legend – depicting lust. At Dan’s house, they were working well past midnight on it, and the memories of romance flew freely in their minds when they worked.

 

Suddenly at a moment Dan held Justin’s hand and pulled him close. Their eyes met, and before knowing anything they had had each-other.

 

Next day, Justin left without a word, and Dan suddenly started keeping great distance with Justin physically. Sadness filled in their eyes, both silently admitting the mistake, knowing that they need to forget what happened. Dan spent a few nights after that in cemetery, and drew abstracts in dark colors.

Justin did not dare to tell it to Brian, or Michael. He thought he would tell it next time he meets Brian, but when he met Brian during the next visit, he was completely exhausted and irritated due to continuous and disturbing calls from Kinnetik.

After that, many months past, but Justin could not forget about the incidence.

Surprisingly, neither him nor Dan spoke about it any time later, and they continued as if nothing had happened, nor went for it again.

 

Take #4

The result from the Olympics Committee was out. Nike bagged the main sponsorship and Justin’s blueprint was selected as “the theme” for 2009 Olympics. Within a one week, Justin’s profile was published in world’s 30 different counties in 10 languages. NY Times gave special footage to the project blueprint on their Olympic Special supplement.

Justin flew to Pittsburgh on the weekend, and dived into Brian. Debbie arranged special party at the diner to celebrate.

Brian exclaimed to Mikey, “Justin has become a big man now.”

 

 

Take #5

After the party, Justin and Brian returned to Brian’s loft. After sex, they discussed their life in NY and Pittsburgh. Brian nervously told Justin that though Kinnetik was doing great, it still would take a long way to open NY office, but he was working on expansion day and night.

Justin told him about the life in gallery and the Olympic project, his expanded contacts in Business circle with the introduction of Nike folks.

Then Brian asked Justin about his health.

“Do you still keep on doing the gym, don’t you? You look filled but you could do better.” he asked.

“I try to…but sometimes I really get tired.”

“And what do you do on weekends?”

“Nothing..just try to draw my own stuff, go to the old man to listen his ‘words of wisdom’, or just relax.”

“Come on, young man, you should have some fun. Tell me which is NY’s hottest newly opened club.”

“I didn’t check.”

“But you came here after fucking 4 months. What did you do all this time?”

“Nothing. I didn’t feel interested.” Justin knew what Brian was asking about. Brian pulled him closer.

“Maybe I should have come there, but I got busy, you know that. I am sorry, Justin.”

“It’s ok.” 

Justin closed his eyes. Tears started forming into his eyes as multiple emotions crowded into his mind. The sense that Brian _had_ changed, the sense of very used-to, but still unbearable painful feeling about being away from Brian, the sense that he hasn’t still told Brian about Dan. Justin felt an urge to speak out.

“Brian…”

“Hmm…”

“Remember last year we had International Art Festival? And myself and my colleague Dan at the gallery hosted it?”

“Oh yes. The papers were full with it. I also remember how you found that ‘Mr. famous’ drunk and fallen by the roadside after his painting was found fake.” Brian smiled.

Justin became uncomfortable by sudden change in the mood of the discussion – esp. going to the humorous side.

“Brian… Dan lost his boyfriend after that…he was admitted into the ICU on the second day…he had HIV.”

“Dan is a fag? He looked at girls like a fucking straight asshole from what I have seen him!”  Brian was still in the mood of humor, and Justin remembered that Brian had once visited the gallery when the old man had told Dan to work on female nudes.

“Are you going to be serious?”

“Well, yes I agree that losing boyfriend to HIV is the most terrible thing to happen in a life of any fag.” Brian suddenly remembered Vic and then Mikey.

“Dan almost killed himself after that.”

“Didn’t you try to stop him?”

“We fucked once after that incidence.” Justin suddenly admitted.

Brian smiled but he sensed a deep cramp of pain passing through his heart.

“So how tight is his ass anyway?”

“Shut up. We were working on a little… hot painting and he asked for it.”

“So?”

“Doesn’t it bother you?”

“Why should it bother me? He was having bad time, he needed it, and you just helped to get away! In fact, you saved him.”

Justin paused. He was not ready to close the topic. He wanted to know Brian’s heart.

“What if some other eternally magical piece of art falls in my way and I fall in love with its creator?”

“Well, I am the eternally magical piece of art that has fallen your way, and you should practically be in love with it’s creator.” Brian smiled and pointed towards sky.

Justin blushed and smiled and hugged Brian tightly.

“Come on…are you going to be serious even for one minute?”

“I know you won’t do anything like that. I know that.”

“I know that too. But sometimes I feel that…” Justin paused.

“What?”

“You and me… if it was supposed to have worked really, why we are so apart like this still?”

“It’s us who decided it, remember? Besides, you already know what I want you to become.”

“Hmm…I know that.. and I am putting my best into it.”

“Good.”

“But…Brian…sometimes I feel too tired… of everything. And I don’t tell about that, because I know you feel the same. It just seems like it’s never going to end. For how long we are going to do like this…driving and flying endlessly… and every time we see each other, it’s time to go before even we realize that we are practically with each other...like we are, now. And then we keep on checking our calendars again and again and again…finding when next can we…hoping it would be soon and it’s never sufficiently soon… and what would happen if we never…” Justin choked and could not speak any further.

Brian pulled him close and tightened his arms around Justin.

_“Don’t worry about it. It will soon be over, Sunshine.”_ He felt like telling Justin. But the words didn’t come out. He just kept on moving his hands on Justin’s back as tears kept rolling down Justin’s eyes.

_“Justin is a big man now, but sometimes he’s just like old times…my cute little Sunshine…as I saw that kid in the street…”_ Brian thought. Internally he decided he would never keep the gap beyond 2 months during their visit. Or may be he should target for a month. _“I should never allow another Ethan to have my Sunshine.”_ Memories of Ethan soared him.


	9. EP 604 chapter 1-3

  
Author's notes:

_One years passes. Justin gets a lot of recognition as an artist. Justin and Brian’s relationship flourishes as Justin truly tries to “partner” with Brian. Kinnetic goes public after launching a successful IPO and Justin and Brian celebrate a long-pending weeklong honeymoon in Hawaii. Justin wants to do a painting of this experience, but he is unable to put it on paper._

_Because of the IPO, Brian becomes busier and slows down his couplings with Justin._

* * *

#ep 604 #

_ Episode Summary _

_One years passes. Justin gets a lot of recognition as an artist. Justin and Brian’s relationship flourishes as Justin truly tries to “partner” with Brian. Kinnetic goes public after launching a successful IPO and Justin and Brian celebrate a long-pending weeklong honeymoon in Hawaii. Justin wants to do a painting of this experience, but he is unable to put it on paper._

_Because of the IPO, Brian becomes busier and slows down his couplings with Justin._

 

Take #1

Time : 2010

One year passed. Olympic project gave Justin a worldwide recognition overnight. He shifted to a new apartment, and he had reasonable bank balance. He had repaid every single penny of Brian’s loan already, and also started contributing in Brighton’s mortgage, after taking great effort in convincing Brian. During each X’mas, they visited Brighton and cleaned it up, but never stayed there overnight, neither thought of selling or renting it.

 

In the mean time, Ben’s trips to the hospital increased, and Brian missed monthly NY trips thrice. In the mean time, Kinnetik was getting expanded. Brian gave a very challenging target to all the employees of Kinnetic – to go public by first quarter of 2011. And it launched its IPO in April 2011.

Justin took a week off to help Brian during the opening, and helped him to keep things going as planned. Brian got unanimously elected as the CEO and President of Kinnetic,Inc. Next month, once things settled, Brian and Justin spent a week on a luxurious cruise in Hawaii. It was almost like a pending honeymoon, but there was no marriage. Soon, Brian turned 40, but he spent his birthday with Kinnetik’s board members.

 

**********Scene – Fabulous party on occasion of Kinnetik’s IPO launching – part II of the party at Babylon (before honeymoon) *************

Em : So, here’s the announcement that our very own Babylon’s owner – His Highness Mr. Brian Kinney – happily announces that his ad agency Kinnetic has gone public!!! Yeah! And, on this great occasion, we have a star-studded night to remember – at Babylon!

Our special attaction for today is – A fabulous interview of our all-time favorite Drew Byod…..by .. guess who…Ellen Degenerous!! 

The party continues and there’s also a special guest – Mysterious Marilyn. Kinnetic’s staff has gone crazy about her and everyone is checking out their fortune.

Brian’s new board of directors pull Brian in the crowd, and after a while when MM is a bit free, they catch her with Brian. One by one, everyone’s fate is revealed – something good, something bad – but one common thing in all – everyone had a great family life and lots of money. They push Brian to ask his fortune but he denies, saying that he doesn’t believe in such bullshit. 

B:“Only one person knows my fate and that’s me.”  

MM: “Not always…why don’t we give a try?”

B: ”Let me guess. What you are going to tell me now that today I am going to be a rich man and will be surrounded in the crowd of these beautiful people. I will own a company whose name starts with K and it is related with communication and mass media!” Brian laughs and whispers, “Fucking anyone who can read English tell me that.”

A trick dressed as policeman passes by.

MM: “Well, Let’s try this… well, my card reads that…you’ve been to jail once for drinking, and twice you’ve been charged for some nasty reasons which involved illicit sex, both the times you were saved by your lover….” 

Everyone looks at Brian stunned.

Brian tries to escape in the crowd. 

MM: “By the way, if you want to know more, come back here…”

….

Brian returns from the back room and sees Brandon talking to Justin. He’s shocked and nervous. He pulls Justin closer and tells : “Sunshine… what’s going on? Aren’t you a little out of place?”

Justin is in naughty mood and pulls back.

“You told me to go and have fun while you’re back!”

Brian pulls Justin in a corner and kisses deeply….“You know what.. you’re a selfish prick. You think only about yourself.” 

“I have been undergone training!”

“But the trainer doesn’t want to lose the student….”

“Well... you never know!” Justin pulls Brian on the dance floor.

 

Brian suddenly feels insecure. He sees that all the eyes on the dance floor looking at Brandon and Justin, and no one looking at him in spite of it’s his day.

The songs continue in the heat of rhythm.

 

Brian sees crowd near MM dispersing and shifting on the dance floor, and MM escaping in the make-up room. He follows MM.

 

MM : “I knew you would come. In fact, I invited you again because I haven’t seen such a reading ever.”

B : “Well, that’s the fun.”

MM : “Ok..so, let’s get back. Now I will tell you something , and you stop me whenever you don’t find truth in it.”

MM : “Let’s see your childhood…oh..you didn’t have much good time, baby, did you? It says your mother is an addict, she hated you, and you had a lot of difference of opinion with your father, not only that, he has caused quite a trouble to you.”

Brian’s eyes start watering.

“But as you go, you have had a very good education , you’ve excelled in studies and you’ve a very loyal friend circle.

It also tells me that at the age of 14 , an event happened which changed your life. And it also says that this event lead you to observe some strange sexual practices.”

B : “Yes I finally gave it a shot that I am a fag and I sucked off my gym teacher.”

MM : “At the same time, you found your true love.”

Brian looked down and avoided eye contact with MM. **_Flashback : 14-year old Michael and Brian in bed_** _._

MM : “Hmmm. After that, however, you seem to have spent most of your time in bed.” MM laughs, “the card says that since that time, till the age of almost 45, you almost have enjoyed sex with the entire world.”

Brian smiles proudly.

MM : “It also says that your youth brings you excellent wealth and fame. You will also be blessed with children. However…”

Brian raises eyebrows.

“You lose your father. You face a lot of ups and downs financially. You have made dangerous enemies , get involved in politics, encountered with police and lawyers, but came out of a all risks safe & sound.”

“It also says that you have a triangle in love. i.e. There’s a third person.”

**_Flashback : Brian & Michael see Justin outside Babylon for the first time._ **

“It also says that your lover is either younger than you, or very child-like. And now since you’ve made it clear, _‘he’_ is related with a business that involves art. At early stages in life, he doesn’t make much money, and his relationship with you is unstable, he also gets involved with another person because you are unable to tell him the truth. You will have good relationship with his mother, though, and you will receive a lot of help from her.”

**_Flashback : Michael & Ben, and Justin& Ethan (alternate), Debbie and Jennifer, (alternate)._ **

MM : “Now if you want we can spell out his name.” She takes Brian’s hand it doesn’t stop at letter ‘J’ and drifts towards ‘M’. Brian pulls his hand.

MM : “Ok! Let’s forget it.”

“So, whoever that person is, he, has been through a near-death experience, probably more than once, or at least I can say that he has risked his life.”

**_Flashback : Michael having sex with Ben, Justin in ambulance with blood all over, Michael in ambulance with blood all over, Justin covered in soot after Babylon explosion. (alternate)_** .

“And not only your lover, but you have been tried yourself by death, again more than once.”

**_Flashback :Brian on the hospital terrace with Michael, Brian’s jeep hit by Justin’s father, Brian scarfing, Brian lying in hospital getting radiation for cancer_**.

MM : “Now, whether you want me to continue or stop?”

Brian ,speechless , signs to continue.

MM : “I guess its enough for today.” MM suddenly becomes very serious and nervous.

B : “You said you’ve never seen a reading like mine.”

MM : “Well, if you think you have balls to hear…you have. So what would you like to hear first? Good? Or Bad?”

Brian looks down.

“Well, good things first! So, the reading says I am damn lucky to be a reader of such a great person like you. You’ll be having unimaginable fame and wealth, and not only that, you are going to be a special person, a role model to many.”

Brian smiles in disbelief.

“The world will celebrate you, Brian Kinney, and many would benefit from you in their need and sorrow. You will be remembered after a long and grand life.”

Brian’s heartbeats race.

“Not only that, your children will make you very proud.”

B : “You mean I will have more than one child?”

MM : “Of course. However, your youngest child is…” MM pauses and looks into Brian’s eyes making him uncomfortable. “it will be borne by you by force and not by your own will, and also, it will not be your biological child. In fact, your lover will be the one carrying it, from an extra-marital affair. Not only that, once the child is born, it will…” MM takes a long pause.

“It will what?”

“It will bring death in your family. Maybe of its both the parents.”

Brian’s heartbeat is missed.

**_Flash :Brian’s imagination : Ben dies at hospital of HIV, Michael is infected by him, both in coffins, J.R. left standing holding Brian’s hand in church. Also a flash of Malinee in a coffin and Lindz crying._ **

MM : “Not sure about both the parents, but your lover will have a life-threat and may not survive, shortly after delivering this child. He may survive, however, in such a state which can’t be called life.”

**_Flash :Brian’s imagination : Michael transformed into Vic._ **

MM : “However, you get along with this child very well and in fact, it will become the sole purpose of your life, giving you hope and support. Your first child brings you wealth, stability and material gains, and your second child brings you peace and love.”

**_Flash :Brian’s imagination : Gus in MBA college,  Brian staying in Michael’s house, dropping and picking up J.R from school._ **

MM : “ Coming back to your love life, you will spend almost 10 years in isolation, i.e. you will not get marital satisfaction from a relationship for a long time. I told you that there’s a triangle already written in your fate. But you will be away from both of them, or they will be unreachable to you for a long time. You might be able to see them, be physically near to them – maybe in a same city, same house, but you will not have a normal relationship with them. You will also go into money problems during the same span.”

**_Flash :Brian’s imagination : Brian staying in Michael’s house, Michael survives by a miracle HIV medicine, but still like Vic, Justin is never back from NY._ **

MM : (without letting worried Brian to think further) “However, towards your retirement years, you will regain the love of your life, and at the same time, the triangle will be broken and you will be free.”

**_Flash :Brian’s imagination : Justin married to Brandon in NY._ **

“You will have stable marital relationship with one of them for some time after that, however, your lover will die before you die.” Brian’s eyes are now filled with water.

**_Flash :Brian’s imagination : Brian in coffin replaced by Michael in coffin, looking very similar to Vic._ **

MM : “You will also inherit enormous wealth from your lover, and you will spend it for a social cause. Also, you will have natural death, near a place which seems like your lover’s memorial. Your lover will also become a historical icon like you.”

**_Flash :Brian’s imagination : Michael has made a movie series on Rage and become a Hollywood icon. Brian in coffin in a church in LA and China Theatre having Michael’s footprints._ **

 

Party is over and Brian returns home with Justin. Brian is very disturbed but doesn’t show.  Justin lying in bed beside Brian, exhausted. Brian doesn’t ask for sex. Instead, pulls Justin in arms and hugs him tight. Wraps the sheets carefully around Justin and himself – like sealing them from the rest of the world. Tears roll down Brian’s cheeks. 

Justin senses but misunderstands them for the success of Kinnetik. Brian decides to ask Justin for a honeymoon in Hawaii.

 

 

 

Take #2

Since Justin returned from Hawaii, he felt different. Waves of passion ran through his mind, and the vast blueness due to the depth of ocean took possession of his mind. All these years he had mastered drawing human forms, but now he felt an unbearable attraction to the unspeakable beauty of nature – when he spent hours and hours on the deck of the cruise, leaning over Brian and holding him in arms – night sky filled with billions of stars, vastness of it visible from the open deck of the cruise – soft breezes blowing into Justin’s hair, bringing scent of Brian’s sweat mixed with expensive cologne, touch of Brian’s wet hands wrapped around him – so much safe, so much warm – all those hours spent without words but so many thoughts exchanged. Moonlight heating their bodies and seeming that they are melting into each-other and into the magical surroundings wrapping them like arms of God. 

 

Justin did not take his drawing book this time on the cruise, and returned with only faint  sketches on  tissue papers collected from restaurants , drawn with borrowed pens. While he sketched, Brian took enormous amount of photos of the vast ocean, and also of Justin drowned in sketching on tissue papers, and tried to seal this beauty in his camera, ending up huge size image download on his laptop everyday, but still not feeling content.

 

Brian wanted to possess Justin, fully and permanently, with leaving no space of any other man in the world entering Justin’s heart. And surprisingly, the more and more he gave Justin, it seemed Justin demanded more, and gave more too in return : A completely different feeling of both content and unfinished desire filled Brian’s heart, much more intense and much more different than the time he spent in Babylon or with the tricks. 

 

Justin took a dump of the photo download, and looked at them over and over. He was haunted by the colors of the ocean in those photos, the stillness and the warmth in the humid air, and the smell of the fresh water and an occasional drizzle, and sound of the waves hitting each other, and dolphins dancing on them felt like an eternal beauty to him, he could not have imagined heaven much differently. And when he closed his eyes in the night, this divine experience of the ocean would get magically mixed up with the images of Brian’s body, his arms, his face, his wet lips and his eyes when he used to look deep into Justin’s eyes, so much demanding, and so much giving at the same time… and Justin felt it difficult to separate apart the two images from each other.

It was probably the best time they spent together, as if the world did not exist.

 

 

Justin felt enormous urge to put it down on paper, but the two dimensional canvas looked at him blankly. _“It’s supposed to express which you cannot express with words.”_ He remembered what the old man had told him once about abstract painting.

Every night he got overwhelmed by the memories of the cruise, and every night he felt its eternal bliss more intensely. Every night he tried to put it on canvas, he went blank, unable to know how to fit it all - in such a restricted medium.

Still, he made various attempts, and then gave up after a few strokes of brush, only finding that his capacity is inadequate to bear the intensity of the bliss he shared with Brian on the cruise.

 

Take #3

Time: 2014

A few months passed. Brian became extremely busy after the IPO, and his contact with Justin got restricted to only an irregular, hard-earned call on a late past midnight on Sunday.

Next X’mas, Justin planned to go to Pittsburgh as decided, but Brian had to suddenly fly to Canada as Gus was admitted to hospital. Brian wanted Justin to come with him, but Ben and Michael were already there on planned vacation, and too many people would have just put an overhead on already stressed up Mel and Lindz.

The day before X’mas, Justin drove to Pittsburgh, went to Kinnetik with Ted, and hosted the distribution of X’mas gifts to the Kinnetik employees. On the X’mas day, he went to Brighton and cleaned it up. He went to Michael’s store and signed copies of X’mas special issue of Rage, and ensured with Hunter, who filled in for Michael frequently now at the store, that everything was going fine. Then went back to NY. 

After returning, he decorated the gallery and spent nights in helping for the year-end exhibition. It turned out to be a good year for the gallery financially. When the news came that Gus was discharged from the hospital, Justin drove back to Pittsburgh, arranged a small New Year function for Debbie, Jennifer and remaining gang. 


	10. EP 605 Chapter 1-7

  
Author's notes:

_One years passes. Justin gets a lot of recognition as an artist. Justin and Brian’s relationship flourishes as Justin truly tries to “partner” with Brian. Kinnetic goes public after launching a successful IPO and Justin and Brian celebrate a long-pending weeklong honeymoon in Hawaii. Justin wants to do a painting of this experience, but he is unable to put it on paper._

_Because of the IPO, Brian becomes busier and slows down his couplings with Justin._

* * *

#ep 604 #

_ Episode Summary _

_One years passes. Justin gets a lot of recognition as an artist. Justin and Brian’s relationship flourishes as Justin truly tries to “partner” with Brian. Kinnetic goes public after launching a successful IPO and Justin and Brian celebrate a long-pending weeklong honeymoon in Hawaii. Justin wants to do a painting of this experience, but he is unable to put it on paper._

_Because of the IPO, Brian becomes busier and slows down his couplings with Justin._

 

Take #1

Time : 2010

One year passed. Olympic project gave Justin a worldwide recognition overnight. He shifted to a new apartment, and he had reasonable bank balance. He had repaid every single penny of Brian’s loan already, and also started contributing in Brighton’s mortgage, after taking great effort in convincing Brian. During each X’mas, they visited Brighton and cleaned it up, but never stayed there overnight, neither thought of selling or renting it.

 

In the mean time, Ben’s trips to the hospital increased, and Brian missed monthly NY trips thrice. In the mean time, Kinnetik was getting expanded. Brian gave a very challenging target to all the employees of Kinnetic – to go public by first quarter of 2011. And it launched its IPO in April 2011.

Justin took a week off to help Brian during the opening, and helped him to keep things going as planned. Brian got unanimously elected as the CEO and President of Kinnetic,Inc. Next month, once things settled, Brian and Justin spent a week on a luxurious cruise in Hawaii. It was almost like a pending honeymoon, but there was no marriage. Soon, Brian turned 40, but he spent his birthday with Kinnetik’s board members.

 

**********Scene – Fabulous party on occasion of Kinnetik’s IPO launching – part II of the party at Babylon (before honeymoon) *************

Em : So, here’s the announcement that our very own Babylon’s owner – His Highness Mr. Brian Kinney – happily announces that his ad agency Kinnetic has gone public!!! Yeah! And, on this great occasion, we have a star-studded night to remember – at Babylon!

Our special attaction for today is – A fabulous interview of our all-time favorite Drew Byod…..by .. guess who…Ellen Degenerous!! 

The party continues and there’s also a special guest – Mysterious Marilyn. Kinnetic’s staff has gone crazy about her and everyone is checking out their fortune.

Brian’s new board of directors pull Brian in the crowd, and after a while when MM is a bit free, they catch her with Brian. One by one, everyone’s fate is revealed – something good, something bad – but one common thing in all – everyone had a great family life and lots of money. They push Brian to ask his fortune but he denies, saying that he doesn’t believe in such bullshit. 

B:“Only one person knows my fate and that’s me.”  

MM: “Not always…why don’t we give a try?”

B: ”Let me guess. What you are going to tell me now that today I am going to be a rich man and will be surrounded in the crowd of these beautiful people. I will own a company whose name starts with K and it is related with communication and mass media!” Brian laughs and whispers, “Fucking anyone who can read English tell me that.”

A trick dressed as policeman passes by.

MM: “Well, Let’s try this… well, my card reads that…you’ve been to jail once for drinking, and twice you’ve been charged for some nasty reasons which involved illicit sex, both the times you were saved by your lover….” 

Everyone looks at Brian stunned.

Brian tries to escape in the crowd. 

MM: “By the way, if you want to know more, come back here…”

….

Brian returns from the back room and sees Brandon talking to Justin. He’s shocked and nervous. He pulls Justin closer and tells : “Sunshine… what’s going on? Aren’t you a little out of place?”

Justin is in naughty mood and pulls back.

“You told me to go and have fun while you’re back!”

Brian pulls Justin in a corner and kisses deeply….“You know what.. you’re a selfish prick. You think only about yourself.” 

“I have been undergone training!”

“But the trainer doesn’t want to lose the student….”

“Well... you never know!” Justin pulls Brian on the dance floor.

 

Brian suddenly feels insecure. He sees that all the eyes on the dance floor looking at Brandon and Justin, and no one looking at him in spite of it’s his day.

The songs continue in the heat of rhythm.

 

Brian sees crowd near MM dispersing and shifting on the dance floor, and MM escaping in the make-up room. He follows MM.

 

MM : “I knew you would come. In fact, I invited you again because I haven’t seen such a reading ever.”

B : “Well, that’s the fun.”

MM : “Ok..so, let’s get back. Now I will tell you something , and you stop me whenever you don’t find truth in it.”

MM : “Let’s see your childhood…oh..you didn’t have much good time, baby, did you? It says your mother is an addict, she hated you, and you had a lot of difference of opinion with your father, not only that, he has caused quite a trouble to you.”

Brian’s eyes start watering.

“But as you go, you have had a very good education , you’ve excelled in studies and you’ve a very loyal friend circle.

It also tells me that at the age of 14 , an event happened which changed your life. And it also says that this event lead you to observe some strange sexual practices.”

B : “Yes I finally gave it a shot that I am a fag and I sucked off my gym teacher.”

MM : “At the same time, you found your true love.”

Brian looked down and avoided eye contact with MM. **_Flashback : 14-year old Michael and Brian in bed_** _._

MM : “Hmmm. After that, however, you seem to have spent most of your time in bed.” MM laughs, “the card says that since that time, till the age of almost 45, you almost have enjoyed sex with the entire world.”

Brian smiles proudly.

MM : “It also says that your youth brings you excellent wealth and fame. You will also be blessed with children. However…”

Brian raises eyebrows.

“You lose your father. You face a lot of ups and downs financially. You have made dangerous enemies , get involved in politics, encountered with police and lawyers, but came out of a all risks safe & sound.”

“It also says that you have a triangle in love. i.e. There’s a third person.”

**_Flashback : Brian & Michael see Justin outside Babylon for the first time._ **

“It also says that your lover is either younger than you, or very child-like. And now since you’ve made it clear, _‘he’_ is related with a business that involves art. At early stages in life, he doesn’t make much money, and his relationship with you is unstable, he also gets involved with another person because you are unable to tell him the truth. You will have good relationship with his mother, though, and you will receive a lot of help from her.”

**_Flashback : Michael & Ben, and Justin& Ethan (alternate), Debbie and Jennifer, (alternate)._ **

MM : “Now if you want we can spell out his name.” She takes Brian’s hand it doesn’t stop at letter ‘J’ and drifts towards ‘M’. Brian pulls his hand.

MM : “Ok! Let’s forget it.”

“So, whoever that person is, he, has been through a near-death experience, probably more than once, or at least I can say that he has risked his life.”

**_Flashback : Michael having sex with Ben, Justin in ambulance with blood all over, Michael in ambulance with blood all over, Justin covered in soot after Babylon explosion. (alternate)_** .

“And not only your lover, but you have been tried yourself by death, again more than once.”

**_Flashback :Brian on the hospital terrace with Michael, Brian’s jeep hit by Justin’s father, Brian scarfing, Brian lying in hospital getting radiation for cancer_**.

MM : “Now, whether you want me to continue or stop?”

Brian ,speechless , signs to continue.

MM : “I guess its enough for today.” MM suddenly becomes very serious and nervous.

B : “You said you’ve never seen a reading like mine.”

MM : “Well, if you think you have balls to hear…you have. So what would you like to hear first? Good? Or Bad?”

Brian looks down.

“Well, good things first! So, the reading says I am damn lucky to be a reader of such a great person like you. You’ll be having unimaginable fame and wealth, and not only that, you are going to be a special person, a role model to many.”

Brian smiles in disbelief.

“The world will celebrate you, Brian Kinney, and many would benefit from you in their need and sorrow. You will be remembered after a long and grand life.”

Brian’s heartbeats race.

“Not only that, your children will make you very proud.”

B : “You mean I will have more than one child?”

MM : “Of course. However, your youngest child is…” MM pauses and looks into Brian’s eyes making him uncomfortable. “it will be borne by you by force and not by your own will, and also, it will not be your biological child. In fact, your lover will be the one carrying it, from an extra-marital affair. Not only that, once the child is born, it will…” MM takes a long pause.

“It will what?”

“It will bring death in your family. Maybe of its both the parents.”

Brian’s heartbeat is missed.

**_Flash :Brian’s imagination : Ben dies at hospital of HIV, Michael is infected by him, both in coffins, J.R. left standing holding Brian’s hand in church. Also a flash of Malinee in a coffin and Lindz crying._ **

MM : “Not sure about both the parents, but your lover will have a life-threat and may not survive, shortly after delivering this child. He may survive, however, in such a state which can’t be called life.”

**_Flash :Brian’s imagination : Michael transformed into Vic._ **

MM : “However, you get along with this child very well and in fact, it will become the sole purpose of your life, giving you hope and support. Your first child brings you wealth, stability and material gains, and your second child brings you peace and love.”

**_Flash :Brian’s imagination : Gus in MBA college,  Brian staying in Michael’s house, dropping and picking up J.R from school._ **

MM : “ Coming back to your love life, you will spend almost 10 years in isolation, i.e. you will not get marital satisfaction from a relationship for a long time. I told you that there’s a triangle already written in your fate. But you will be away from both of them, or they will be unreachable to you for a long time. You might be able to see them, be physically near to them – maybe in a same city, same house, but you will not have a normal relationship with them. You will also go into money problems during the same span.”

**_Flash :Brian’s imagination : Brian staying in Michael’s house, Michael survives by a miracle HIV medicine, but still like Vic, Justin is never back from NY._ **

MM : (without letting worried Brian to think further) “However, towards your retirement years, you will regain the love of your life, and at the same time, the triangle will be broken and you will be free.”

**_Flash :Brian’s imagination : Justin married to Brandon in NY._ **

“You will have stable marital relationship with one of them for some time after that, however, your lover will die before you die.” Brian’s eyes are now filled with water.

**_Flash :Brian’s imagination : Brian in coffin replaced by Michael in coffin, looking very similar to Vic._ **

MM : “You will also inherit enormous wealth from your lover, and you will spend it for a social cause. Also, you will have natural death, near a place which seems like your lover’s memorial. Your lover will also become a historical icon like you.”

**_Flash :Brian’s imagination : Michael has made a movie series on Rage and become a Hollywood icon. Brian in coffin in a church in LA and China Theatre having Michael’s footprints._ **

 

Party is over and Brian returns home with Justin. Brian is very disturbed but doesn’t show.  Justin lying in bed beside Brian, exhausted. Brian doesn’t ask for sex. Instead, pulls Justin in arms and hugs him tight. Wraps the sheets carefully around Justin and himself – like sealing them from the rest of the world. Tears roll down Brian’s cheeks. 

Justin senses but misunderstands them for the success of Kinnetik. Brian decides to ask Justin for a honeymoon in Hawaii.

 

 

 

Take #2

Since Justin returned from Hawaii, he felt different. Waves of passion ran through his mind, and the vast blueness due to the depth of ocean took possession of his mind. All these years he had mastered drawing human forms, but now he felt an unbearable attraction to the unspeakable beauty of nature – when he spent hours and hours on the deck of the cruise, leaning over Brian and holding him in arms – night sky filled with billions of stars, vastness of it visible from the open deck of the cruise – soft breezes blowing into Justin’s hair, bringing scent of Brian’s sweat mixed with expensive cologne, touch of Brian’s wet hands wrapped around him – so much safe, so much warm – all those hours spent without words but so many thoughts exchanged. Moonlight heating their bodies and seeming that they are melting into each-other and into the magical surroundings wrapping them like arms of God. 

 

Justin did not take his drawing book this time on the cruise, and returned with only faint  sketches on  tissue papers collected from restaurants , drawn with borrowed pens. While he sketched, Brian took enormous amount of photos of the vast ocean, and also of Justin drowned in sketching on tissue papers, and tried to seal this beauty in his camera, ending up huge size image download on his laptop everyday, but still not feeling content.

 

Brian wanted to possess Justin, fully and permanently, with leaving no space of any other man in the world entering Justin’s heart. And surprisingly, the more and more he gave Justin, it seemed Justin demanded more, and gave more too in return : A completely different feeling of both content and unfinished desire filled Brian’s heart, much more intense and much more different than the time he spent in Babylon or with the tricks. 

 

Justin took a dump of the photo download, and looked at them over and over. He was haunted by the colors of the ocean in those photos, the stillness and the warmth in the humid air, and the smell of the fresh water and an occasional drizzle, and sound of the waves hitting each other, and dolphins dancing on them felt like an eternal beauty to him, he could not have imagined heaven much differently. And when he closed his eyes in the night, this divine experience of the ocean would get magically mixed up with the images of Brian’s body, his arms, his face, his wet lips and his eyes when he used to look deep into Justin’s eyes, so much demanding, and so much giving at the same time… and Justin felt it difficult to separate apart the two images from each other.

It was probably the best time they spent together, as if the world did not exist.

 

 

Justin felt enormous urge to put it down on paper, but the two dimensional canvas looked at him blankly. _“It’s supposed to express which you cannot express with words.”_ He remembered what the old man had told him once about abstract painting.

Every night he got overwhelmed by the memories of the cruise, and every night he felt its eternal bliss more intensely. Every night he tried to put it on canvas, he went blank, unable to know how to fit it all - in such a restricted medium.

Still, he made various attempts, and then gave up after a few strokes of brush, only finding that his capacity is inadequate to bear the intensity of the bliss he shared with Brian on the cruise.

 

Take #3

Time: 2014

A few months passed. Brian became extremely busy after the IPO, and his contact with Justin got restricted to only an irregular, hard-earned call on a late past midnight on Sunday.

Next X’mas, Justin planned to go to Pittsburgh as decided, but Brian had to suddenly fly to Canada as Gus was admitted to hospital. Brian wanted Justin to come with him, but Ben and Michael were already there on planned vacation, and too many people would have just put an overhead on already stressed up Mel and Lindz.

The day before X’mas, Justin drove to Pittsburgh, went to Kinnetik with Ted, and hosted the distribution of X’mas gifts to the Kinnetik employees. On the X’mas day, he went to Brighton and cleaned it up. He went to Michael’s store and signed copies of X’mas special issue of Rage, and ensured with Hunter, who filled in for Michael frequently now at the store, that everything was going fine. Then went back to NY. 

After returning, he decorated the gallery and spent nights in helping for the year-end exhibition. It turned out to be a good year for the gallery financially. When the news came that Gus was discharged from the hospital, Justin drove back to Pittsburgh, arranged a small New Year function for Debbie, Jennifer and remaining gang. 


	11. EP 606

#ep 606 #

_ Episode Summary _

_Time : early 2012_

_Justin is still unable to put his honeymoon experience on canvas. He discusses it with Dan who tells it to the old man. Old man dies and nominates Justin and Dan as his successors as gallery in-charge. Before dying, he tells Justin that it’s the “painting of his lifetime”, and he will be able to draw it one day._

_Justin struggles to cope with unsatisfied sexual need due to Brian’s absence. He engages in more sex with Dan, which puts strain in the relationship between Dan and his new boyfriend. Once, very ill Justin drives to Pittsburgh, and collapses outside the door of Kinnetik. Ultimately, Justin leaves the dream of joining PIFA and does an agreement with himself to visit to Pittsburgh to see Brian at least once in a month. However, increased responsibility at the gallery does not allow Justin to abide it, and sense of loneliness starts affecting Justin’s emotional stability. He begins to reconsider his decision to stay in NY. Jennifer and Daphne sense it, and ask Justin to go for his own child, as advised by Blake._


	12. EP 607-616

#ep 607 #

_ Episode Summary _

_Time : late 2012_

_Melissa’s mother needs a critical surgery, and Justin sponsors for it. In return, Melissa volunteers to bear Justin’s child as surrogate mother. However, Justin is not comfortable with the idea of a child, not wanting anyone else apart from Brian to share his love. Ultimately, Daphne is able to convince Justin. However, Justin fears to take permission for this from Brian. The entire gang decides to help, and they convince Brian to let Justin have his child, and tell Brian to accept it as his second child. Unable to open Kinnetik office in NY, Brian is frustrated with the slower speed of his professional growth. In fear of losing Justin again, he agrees for the second child._

__

#ep 608 #

_ Episode Summary _

_Time : 2013-2014_

_Melissa delivers baby girl of Justin in Pittsburgh. Justin names her Britney as he wants ‘Brian Kinney’ in her name. Melissa returns to NY but she and Justin decide to stay in separate apartments instead of living together. After 6 months, Melissa’s mother gets fatally ill in Mexico and Melissa goes to visit her. Justin moves Britney to his own apartment. Brian visits Justin in NY but struggles to form a parental bond with Britney._

#ep 609 #

_ Episode Summary _

_Time : late 2014_

__

_Melissa never returns. One night when Justin and Brian are spending a quiet moment with Britney, Justin is called to Mexico Border for identification of her body. Everybody is stunned. With help of Carl and Mark’s contacts, Justin is able to trace that Melissa was shot by American guards, during an encounter at the border. He also learns that she was used by unknown group of international terrorists to pass important security information across border, who used to make use of celebrities like artists and sportspersons as their pawns. Justin is left in deep grief. Brian tries to console him by signing up as legal parent of Britney, and giving Britney equal descendent rights as Gus._

_  
_

#ep 610 #

_ Episode Summary _

_Time : 2017_

_With enormous efforts of Brian, almost after 10 years, finally the Kinnetic board members approve his long-awaited NY office. Brian decides to shift to NY. However, he still needs to spend an year in Pittsburgh for handover. He also needs to help Michael more and more, as Michael finds extremely difficult to manage manifold responsibility of the diner, the comic store, Ben, and also of Jenny. Knowing more financial needs of Jenny, Michael plans to open new branches of both the comic store and the diner on the same day Brian opens Kinnetik’s new office in NY. He starts preparing hard for it. He asks Hunter to manage the new comic store._

 

#ep 611 #

_ Episode Summary _

_Time : 2018_

__

_The week of planned release of the new branches, Ben falls critically ill. However, the gang decides it to keep it a secret from Michael and Brian, and admit Ben in a hospital in Canada._

_The branches have fabulous opening, but Michael smells some conspiracy in Ben’s absence and talks to Brian about it. Justin knows everything, and Brian is surprised to see Justin’s cold response to the Brian’s dream-come-true moment._

_After the opening, Justin lets the news about Ben to Brian and Michael, and sends them to Canada._

_When they know that Ben’s illness will take a long time to stabilize, Mihchel decides to stay in Canada till Ben moves out of critical condition, and then moves him to Pittsburgh._

_Sherrie, daughter of Justin’s old landlady Mrs. Smith, agrees to take upon Michael’s offer to take up as manager of both the diners in his absence._

_Due to commitment at Kinnetik’s new branch and forced by the board members, Brian has to leave Michael and sick Ben in Canada and join the NY office._

#ep 612 #

_ Episode Summary _

_Time : 2019_

__

_Ben moves out from the critical condition and moves to Pittsburgh. However, Michael decides to spend time with Ben at home till he recovers to a stable state. However, doctors soar Michael’s hopes. Grieved, Michael seeks for Brian’s company more and more._

_Pulled between his life in NY and Pittsburgh, Brian’s drinking increases and he suffers from blood pressure and liver problems. Meanwhile, Gus celebrates his 18th birthday and seeks admission in Harvard Business School in Boston. This immensely soothes Brian. However, Gus shows similar promiscuity like Brian from his school days, which worries everyone. Mel and Lindz apologize Brian and blame themselves for inadequate parenting._

_While Gus  is not able to get a good scholarship, he is unable to manage fees at Harvard. Knowing that it would increase financial burden on Brian, Justin decides to secretly fund Gus. He quits the gallery and decides to become full time solo professional, thereby entering into the highest circle of talent in the art world. The need to cope up with the competition of world’s greatest artists puts enormous pressure on Justin._

_  
_

#ep 613 #

_ Episode Summary _

_Time : 2020_

__

_Justin is now 37 years old, a concerned parent and husband at house, and a successful artist in professional life. He becomes a significant international icon as a renowned painter._

_Brian temporarily shifts to Pittsburgh again to look after Ben who counts his last breaths. Ben finally ends his life in hospital, leaving Michael alone. Knowing Michael’s condition, the gang decides to help and support Michael. However, Brian stops them from interfering, and allows only himself and Blake to meet Michael till he is recovered from the grief. He extends his stay in Pittsburgh._

_Meanwhile, Justin has to visit to London to participate in the exhibition and sale of his drawings. Mrs. Smith takes up role of Debbie in NY and takes care of Britney. Brian wants to accompany Justin in London, but very grieved Michael requests him to stop in Pittsburgh. Brian is tore apart between Justin and Michael again._

#ep 614 #

_ Episode Summary _

_Time : 2020_

_While preparing for London trip, Justin gets caught in hands of the terrorists organization who killed Melissa. They insist Justin to carry sensitive defense information to London, which Justin denies. He tries to take help of Carl and Mark, but the terrorists come to know about it and threat Justin for killing Brian and Britney. Justin decides to ignore the threat and to go to London. Justin tells Jennifer’s boyfriend Allen, who works for CNN, about it and asks him to protect Brian and Britney with the help of intelligence. Allen agrees, but tells Justin not to go – as for the first time he feels parental bond with Justin. Justin lands in London. Frowned by this, terrorist organization kidnaps Justin and negotiate with the US government for signing a nuclear treaty._

_24 hours special security is mandated to Brian, Britney, both branches of Kinnetik, and Jeniffer’s family in Pittsburgh. Broken by this sudden shock, and harassed by paparazzi, Brian’s blood pressure jumps. However, he manages to recover and raises voice against terrorism, putting pressure on UK government to find the terrorists and release Justin. However, for months, Justin is not found._

_Allen launches a worldwide campaign against terrorism, to support Justin. Brian sells Kinnetik’s NY office and diverts the funds to the campaign._

#ep 615 #

_ Episode Summary _

_Time : 2021_

_One year passes but Justin is not found. Security is loosened and everyone seems to be forgetting about the issue. CNN campaign dies without much success, and a few more victims._

_However, Brian is unable to give up. He pressurizes US government to agree upon terrorists’ terms for release of Justin. He revives the campaign again and asks the entire society to support him. Ultimately, the government agrees on terrorists’ conditions, and they decide to release Justin._

_Brian goes to Washington to receive Justin. Though the government is successful to keep media away, paparazzi try to pursuit Brian._

_Brian is stunned to find Justin beyond recognition. Justin collapses after he reaches DC, and gets admitted in hospital. After running a series of tests, doctors reveal Justin’s condition to Brian. Brian is heartbroken to hear that after being subjected to extreme harassment by the terrorists, Justin has lost his emotional balance and is permanently retarded. Not only that, Justin was made deaf by making him listen extremely loud sounds, is carrying multiple fractures due to beating till death, and after finding that Justin was gay, he was raped by terrorists again and again throughout his stay. As a result, his anus was torn apart and he would be needing many months of extensive treatment._

_Brian is broken by Justin’s condition and does not allow anyone else to see him for many months. He tries to give Justin the best medical support. He quits Kinnetik and sells all his shares to gather money for Justin’s treatment. Michael takes up heavy loan for Brian to support Justin’s treatment, however, he never dares to go and see Justin, blaming himself as the cause of stopping Brian in Pittsburgh instead of letting him go with Justin to London – which would probably have refrained Justin from falling prey to the terrorists._

#ep 616 #

_ Episode Summary _

_Time : 2022_

_Shaken by the incidence, Jennifer, Daphne, Mel and Mrs. Smith re-launch Allen’s anti-terrorism movement across the globe, and get to know astonishing secrets about the global politic````````````````````s from Allen._

_Justin’s physical recovery is complete and he gets transferred to rehab center n NY for further psychiatric therapy. Brian decides to live in he center along with Justin and refuses to participate in the movement. Slowly Justin begins to show signs of life, however, his progress is limited to doing his daily essentials. He is unable to hear and unable to recognize anyone including Brian. The shock has permanently damaged Justin’s mind and body. However, he doesn’t let anyone else than his usual nurse and Brian to touch him. Brian once tries to stimulate him sexually, however, Justin freaks out badly due to memories of rape and becomes very ill. Doctors and Brian decide not to play with his memory again._

_Meanwhile, Gus graduates from Harvard and instead of joining Kinnetic, joins another MNC to support Justin and the movement, completely changed by the incidence. Sherry quits the diner becomes full time volunteer in the movement._

_Doctors declare that Justin would never improve his physical and mental condition any further. Knowing that, Brian decides to permanently return to Pittsburgh with Justin and Britney, while Gus moves to NY. However, instead of moving to the loft, Brian takes an apartment next to Michael and Ben’s house, where Michael still continues to live alone._

#ep 614 #

_ Episode Summary _

_Time : 2023_

_After many months of attempts, Justin does not show improvement, and is permanently shifted to a mental hospital in Pittsburgh. Doctors deny Brian’s request to take Justin home under medical supervision._

_Broken, Brian re-joins Kinnetik for the sake of money. He visits Justin everyday, but Justin is unable to recognize anyone including Brian._

_Years pass by and as they pass, Brian sees glimpses of Justin in Britney and showers his affection on her. Brian and Britney form extremely close parent-child bond._

_Brian visits Justin everyday and takes Britney to him on every weekend. Though Justin doesn’t respond, Brian takes him in his arms and caresses him for hours. Justin’s response to Brian’s love is limited – but he allows only Brian to take him outside his room for a walk, and sometimes when he’s excited, holds Brian tightly._

#ep 615 #

_ Episode Summary _

_Time : 2029_

_8 years pass by. Jennifer, Mrs. Smith lose their lives fighting in the movement. Very old Debbie lives in old age home in Pittsburgh. Brian sadly celebrates his 58th birthday and decides to retire. Gus is elected as the new president and CEO of Kinnetik . He re-launches its NY office and also opens a branch in London, in dedication to Justin. Gus marries Hollywood’s most famous actress and a global fashion icon. As a wedding gift, Brian gives her one of the rings he had bought for his marriage with Justin, and asks her to put it on Gus as his marriage ring. Britney is now 16 and is fallen in love with her childhood best friend, Daphne’s son Patrick. Brian sees the two of them falling in love and is surprised to find the affair very similar to his own days with Michael. Brian transfers Brighton on Britney’s name on her 17th birthday. Jenny becomes lesbian and forms bond with much older Sherry. To everyone’s surprise, Jenny shows extraordinary talent in painting and revives Rage Comics as well as launches Rage’s female counterpart super-girl._

#ep 616 #

_ Episode Summary _

_Time : 2030_

_On Ben’s 65th birth anniversary, Brian and Michael decide to visit stones of Ben, Jennifer and Mrs. Smith, and the memories for all the past years are refreshed in their mind. It’s also Justin’s 47th birthday and Brian plans to visit Justin with a simple bouquet of roses. Brian is finally able convince Michael to visit Justin. Michael agrees and buys canvas and painting material as gift to Justin. However, when they visit Justin, Michael is deeply grieved see Justin’s condition and tries to run away. However, Brian stops Michael and asks him to try talking to Justin – in a false hope that it could bring Justin back to life. Michael tries to caress Justin who freaks out by the memories of rape. Devastated, Brian collapses and cries in front of Justin for a long time, but Justin does not respond. Finally, Brian cracks down in Michael’s arms in front of Justin. Michael consoles Brian, and they decide to spend the night in Justin’s room._

_Brian lights candles and cuts Justin’s birthday cake to make the atmosphere lighter. However, he becomes very sick in hopelessness, and strangely Brian and Michael fell asleep in Justin’s bed, in each-other’s arms._

_When they wake up, they find Justin dead. Debbie tells Michael and Brian that God has chosen Michael to pull Justin’s plug, since nobody else could have done it. When the doctors empty Justin’s room, they find a fresh painting near Justin’s bed. The painting depicts the beauty of nature as seen by Justin during his honeymoon with Brian on the Hawaii cruise. The two figures in the painting vaguely resemble teenage Brian and Michael. It becomes famous masterpiece called ‘honeymoon : the painting of the lifetime’._

_One year later, Brian and Michel visit the stones, this time the number is increased by one. Brian is now a world famous management Guru and a great leader of anti-terrorism global movement._

_  
_

_While returning from the cemetery, Brian and Michael stop at the turning. Brian remembers his dialogue on the highway when Justin had ran away to NY._

_“I'm here with you, aren't I? Stranded on a Turnpike?”_

_.._

_“I am glad that you decided to come with me.”_

_“But we're always been for each other.”_  
“You more than me.”  
“That's not true.”   
“I know I can be shitty to you, sometimes. I know that. But it's only because I know that you'll always love me, no matter what.”  
“I do.”  
“I do, too. Always have, always will. I don't know how I could have made it without you.” 

_That night, Brian takes Michael and re-enters the loft after many years, and searches and puts the remaining ring in Michael’s finger._

_“It was meant for you.”_

_Old Brian and Michael spend their first real night together in Michael’s childhood room._

_The series comes to a full circle._

  
  


Casting 

Middle-aged Brian : Gale Harold (continued)

Middle-aged Justin : Leonardo DiCaprio 

Middle-aged Michael : Billy Zane

Middle-aged Daphne : Beyonce 

Old man at the gallery : Ian McKellen

Middle-aged Allen : Victor Garber 

Dan : Simon Dumenco (Acting debut??)

Young Gus : Ashton Kutcher

Young Junior : Emma Watson

Young Britney : New Face (someone like baby Drew Barrymore).


End file.
